


Between Angels and Puppies

by ChibiEnvyChan



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cute!Cloud, F/F, F/M, Idiot!Shinra, M/M, Multi, Pick on Zack, Protective!Angeal, Protective!Zack, Puppy Love, SO MUCH SARCASM, Timid!Cloud, Villain!Genesis, sappy romance, so much tooth rotting fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-07
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-05-25 07:26:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 41,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6185818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChibiEnvyChan/pseuds/ChibiEnvyChan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When it rains, it pours. As if trying to figure out his feelings isn't enough, add on top of it the mysterious disappearances and teaching his student. It's enough to drive any man insane. Both Angeal and Zack struggle to not only figure themselves out but their relationship or rather relationships. A certain someone has dropped into their lives, leaving chaos in his wake. However, they first must all survive. Repost from fanfiction.net</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Amarissia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amarissia/gifts).



> Special Shout Out: This is a gift for an awesome Final Fantasy VII writer, Amarissia. Check out her stories. I have her under my favorite authors section. Chibi gives her a two thumbs up!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, but I do own my OCs. Basically, they're anyone you don't know.

Standing on the observation deck, a SOLDIER first class observed the cadets training as their instructor practically breathed down their necks. His dark eyes wandered from cadet to cadet, not staying on one for more than a moment. Their forms were awkward, however, a few were starting to pick up a thing or two. Still, they all could use improvement. It would be awhile before any of them made SOLDIER.

Being here reminded him of the time, he first laid eyes upon his apprentice. The former cadet was such a ball of energy that it made people wonder if he had pure mako for breakfast. No one was that bouncy at seven the morning. Of course, his skills with a sword separated him from the others, and it was painfully obvious even to an amateur swordsman. However, he lacked focus, which was why they gave him a mentor. The cadet was too promising to lose due to a lack of focus. Thankfully, he had improved in leaps and bounds under his guidance.

The SOLDIER snapped out of his reverie and looked for the source of his distraction. Ah, the instructor had taken to yelling at a cadet over his form. When asked, the cadet performed it according to how he was taught by his unofficial mentor.

"Pfft, that idiot doesn't know what he's talking about," Zack spoke up, having been silent for a long time. It was a miracle for him to be quiet and in one place for more than seven minutes. Then again, it was for his student.

Angeal shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. Who would have thought his student would ever become a mentor? He thought it would never happen, but Zack had a way of dealing with people. It was hard not to like him. The first class found himself of all people drawn to the very bouncy Zachary Fair.

Every time a certain cadet was yelled at, Angeal shifted his attention to his student even though he could hear the second class SOLDIER loud and clear. His actions were amusing to say the least, but he needed to talk to Sephiroth after what he witnessed. With the way this instructor was going, they'd be lucky enough to get a few thirds this time.

Angeal pinched the bridge of his nose at his student's choice of words. Where had he picked up such crude words? That person had better pray he didn't meet up with this first class ever. A thought popped into his mind. What if the cadet subconsciously picked up Zack's wonderful vocabulary? The blond looked too innocent and from what his student told him repeatedly was naïve.

Oddly enough, Angeal wanted to protect that innocence. He even had a feeling Zack felt the same way, considering the amount of time the two spent together. The first class felt strangely proud his student was maturing… somewhat and spending time with others closer to his age, but at the same time, he felt lonely as if a large part of his life disappeared.

Maybe just maybe that was why he finally decided to check out Zack's student, whom was proclaimed as 'the cutest thing to walk the face of the planet.' While he wasn't too keen on that description, he knew there was something special about this Cloud Strife, and it wasn't his unusual hair style.

"Zachary, are you finished?"

Not tearing his eyes away from the class, Zack grumbled. "It's Zack. How many times do I have to tell you. You want me to get a tattoo or something?"

This caused a dark brow to be raised. "The mutilation of you body isn't necessary, Puppy." He held back a smile when his student started pouting at being called that.

"Not a puppy," Zack grumbled. He then turned his attention back to the class when he heard the instructor announce the end of training. In less than a second, a huge smile graced his face, and he dashed out of the room, door swinging in his wake. His mentor merely shook his head, not that he saw it.

Angeal focused his attention on the blond and frowned. The kid had a lot of potential, but with the way his classmates treated him, he had serious doubts about the cadet's self-esteem. Currently, he was being jostled around as the other cadets departed the room. If that was the way they acted, they might as well be grunts.

SOLDIER didn't tolerate constant squabbles amongst its ranks and neither did Sephiroth. They'd' better get an attitude adjustment and quickly or fail the exam.

The SOLDIER first suppressed a groan when he saw his student charge into the room and glare at the offending cadets. As much as Zack wanted to help, all he accomplished was isolating cloud from his peers. He'd have to have a talk to his student about that, but for now, he watched from a safe distance.

Inside the classroom, Zack used his body as a shield against the other cadets. He glared at them if they so much as looked at Cloud the wrong way. Everyone knew he was a laid back, friendly SOLDIER so this came as a total surprise. Some had no idea what to say or do, hence, they walked around the pair.

Cloud, on the other hand, felt completely embarrassed. He just wanted to crawl into the nearest hole and die or sink into the planet. Why did Zack have to be so heroic? Sometimes, he wished his mentor would temporarily forget that he existed like so many other people. Sadly, Zack just happened to have a large heart.

The blond tried to hide behind the older man, not wanting his classmates to see him and most importantly remember that he was there. He packed his belongings and attempted to skirt around his unofficial bodyguard. Sadly, this didn't happen as the SOLDIER glomped him, causing him to squeak loudly.

"Zack," he pouted and squired in his iron grip.

"But you're so cute for you own good and glompable!" Zack cried out happily as he kept his prey in his grasp. It should be illegal to be this cute.

Was that even a word. Cloud didn't doubt it might be something his only friend would have invented and actually use as if it was part of their vocabulary.

As hard as he tried, he couldn't escape his stronger friend. In spite of times like this, he was glad to be Zack's friend. The dark haired SOLDIER was the only good thing here. That and he had a chance to see his idol, Sephiroth. What he wouldn't give to actually meet the guy in person.

Oddly enough, his prayer was answered when a strong hand pried Zack off of him. The cadet blinked a few times, adjusting to this sudden development before nearly fainting. Was that Angeal, one of the legendary SOLDIERs? He wasn't Sephiroth, but he was close enough.

Zack's whining brought him back to reality. The SOLDIER had lifted him easily in the air like a toy, a very pretty toy. He flailed around for awhile and then gave up.

"Angeal, this isn't fair!"

"And what you're doing to your student is?" Man, he sounded so cool, almost like the General, but less intimidating. He could actually smile and mean it.

By the way Zack was trying to think of something, anything, he knew he won this little debate. Sensing his defeat, the first class placed his student on the ground and released his hold, but he was alert, should the little imp act up again. The cadet had enough on his plate as it stood.

"Sir." Cloud snapped to attention and executed a perfect salute. He stayed that way until Zack made him lose it when he started tickling him. "Zack!"

"Enough with the sirs!" the second class said in exasperation. He was getting tired of it. The boy was too formal. He needed to loosen up a lot. After being satisfied with his 'revenge,' he slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Fair," Angeal warned, indicating he was more than willing to put him in a headlock, no matter how childish and unbefitting of his high rank.

"Eep!" Zack quickly hid behind the smaller body, trying to take up as little space as possible. "Don't let the big bad Angeal get me! I swear I'll make it up to you!"

Angeal felt like his head was going to fall off with all the shaking he had been doing. At times like this, he wondered if he was sane when he made Zack his apprentice. He moved closer towards the two and stopped when he saw his student's student start shaking.

"I'm not going to hurt you though I can't say anything about my apprentice."

Finally, it clicked. Angeal was trying to calm down the cadet. Sadly, with his reputation, people tended to think of him as being larger than life. The first class hated that. He wanted his SOLDIERs able to approach him without fear or worship.

"See what I mean! You're too cute to hurt, but me… I don't have that luxury." Zack moved according to where Angeal approached, using Cloud as a human shield. This resulted in the two SOLDIERs circling the poor cadet, causing him to become dizzy.

Seeing the blond turn slightly green, Zack stopped and cuddled him. He was about to pick up his student when Cloud squirmed away. "But you're not feeling well."

"Feel free to ignore his stupidity."

"I do it all the time, sir."

At least, the two were getting along. Zack should feel great, but out of all the topics, they just had to pick that! "I sense the beginning of an unholy partnership against me."

"Tough luck. Get over it," Cloud said as he started to become comfortable around Angeal. Hell, if the first class put up with Zack's nonsense, he couldn't be bad. Still he was too formal and his stiff posture wasn't helping him.

Angeal nodded his head. "It's your mess. Clean it up yourself."

"I'm not cleaning them," Cloud hastily spoke. He knew Zack would try to worm him into helping and looked over at the second class.

"Good," Angeal said, almost in a praising way.

Upon hearing this, Zack pouted and whined. "I should have never let you meet. No speaking to Angeal. He'll corrupt you." He moved to get the cadet, but the little bastard danced out of his reach and behind their superior. "See, he's corrupted."

The first class scoffed at this. Today was the first day he met Cloud. "And that's how you'll end up if you are not trained properly. He's been a very bad puppy."

Zack groaned and felt like hiding. "You two are out to get me, aren't you?"

"Maybe," Cloud said, looking as innocent as a kitten. How could someone be so cute and yet so evil? It wasn't fair at all. "Sir?"

"It had been my intention all along," Angeal added. Who would have thought Angeal had a sense of humor? He smiled a little, seeing Cloud's large grin and the cadet relaxing around him. Oh, he'd be paying for it later tonight, but it was worth it. Maybe just maybe Zack would realize that later on.

Whirling around, Zack pointed his finger at his mentor. "I knew it. I knew it. You've been plotting my demise ever since I first stepped food in this building!"

Cloud couldn't hold it any longer. He started laughing at how ridiculous the second class looked. When he saw a mock glare directed at him, he clamped a hand over his mouth.

Finally Zack sighed. "Go ahead and laugh. You look cute. You should do it more often."

Silently, Angeal agreed. The boy's laughter was oddly soothing.

That certainly quieted Cloud. He went from laughing to pouting in less than a second. Cute? He hated being cute especially since he was a guy. Guys weren't called cute. Boys maybe.

"Wait a minute! You've never been formally introduced." Zack said once he was finally over being upset at being the butt of their jokes. He literally dragged his student over to his mentor, making them face each other. "Angeal, this is my student and the cutest thing to walk the face of the planet, Cloud Strife. Cloudy, this is the most awesome teacher and more, Angeal Hewley. Go on, hug each other. Make sure to keep those hands above the waist where I can see them."

"Only you would do that," Cloud muttered even though he knew they both would hear. Stupid mako enhancements. Some day, he'd be able to hear low sounds. Instead of hugging, the cadet settled for shaking his hand. He was surprised how gentle Angeal could be with that strength of his.

Once again, Angeal silently agreed. As strong as he was, he learned how to control his strength. He looked over the blond once more before watching the two mock fight. Unlike the two, the first class preferred watching. He tried to blend with the shadows, but his student had other things in mind.

"And where do you think you're going, hm?"

Oh crap.

Border

"How are you holding up?" the second class inquired as the two started cleaning up their mess from dinner.

If he could speak, Cloud would say 'on a total high.' He had recently met the Commander Hewley and made it out alive. The first class seemed to be larger than life. He thought Angeal to be the tough and cold type just like Sephiroth. He was almost human in the way interacted with others. Maybe he should stop listening to his childish classmates.

Zack chuckled. "He was something else, wasn't he? I mean when I first saw him, I thought he was going to eat me alive, but he can be gentle when he wants to be. Sometimes, he was too gentle like I'd break when he was too rough with me." The blond was too young for him to go into detail, and he really didn't want to scare him away not when he was starting to open up. "You'll get used to it."

Blue eyes focused on him. His hands stopped drying the dishes, and he almost dropped the plate. Thankfully, Zack's probing brought him back to reality. He resumed drying the dishes.

"Spike," Zack said, full of concern. He didn't need Cloud clamming up again, not with all the patience and time he invested in the kid. It was like dealing with another Sephiroth, Zack didn't like it. He wanted to hug the cadet and make his fears go away, far away, but he didn't know where to start. "Please talk to me. You're more talkative, and I'm worried."

Guilt washed over Cloud. The last thing he wanted to do was cause his mentor to worry about him. Zack had other duties and was on the verge of making first class. It wasn't like he wanted to keep secrets. Cloud didn't want to be a burden to the SOLDIER. That was why he kept secrets, not only out of fear but more out of gratefulness.

"I'm just surprised. That's all." He hoped that would be enough for now.

Knowing Cloud's personality, Zack didn't push it. He hoped one day his student would feel comfortable to be himself especially around his superiors. If the blond kept this up, he would make first class in no time, and that meant learning how to deal with them on a daily basis.

"He wasn't what I thought he'd be," Zack sighed as he reminisced about the good old days when he was a cadet. This was certainly an unlikely turn of events.

"Really?" the cadet whispered shyly. He peeked over the dish he was currently holding. Zack wasn't the type of person to shy away from anything. He was bold, confident, and strong, a protector of the weak. This did not suit the image that Cloud had of his mentor at all.

"Yep! Hey, don't give me that look. I was once a cadet and a cute one to boot. Heh, hard to believe." Zack chuckled while his student looked at him all confused. It took all of his willpower not to drop the bowl and glomp the cutie right then and there.

"How did you read my mind?"

The second class looked thoughtful. "Well, you see I'm psychic. Did I ever tell you that?" He received that look Angeal gave him whenever he was acting like an idiot. How was that possible? They never met each other until today unless they weren't telling him anything. Not fair!

Rather than voice opinion, Cloud went back to drying the dishes as if he never heard Zack's latest comment. He turned his head slightly so the elder wouldn't see his smile. It wasn't too hard to read him, and he knew it. He wished it wasn't that painfully obvious. As soon as he was finished, he put it away and held his hand for another.

"You two are so up to something. I knew it!"

"Don't be ridiculous."

Border

Shuffling the paperwork, Angeal couldn't stop thinking about that day even though it had been a couple of days ago. In a lot of ways, Cloud reminded him of Zack when he first started, but at the same time, they were different as night and day.

His student was more confident and outgoing. If he put his mind to something, there was almost nothing on the face of the planet that would stop him although sometimes it landed him in trouble. Angeal had to bail him out of those and hastily apologize to whoever he offended that time. Sadly, it involved upper management for many of those occasions. Despite this and his inability to concentrate, he learned quickly and was eager to learn more.

Cloud, on the other hand, had more concentration. He could go into the zone and work on some tedious drill or task for hours without complaining. His determination made up for his lack of natural talent and small body. If anyone worked hard in that unit, it was Cloud. However, he tended to be shy and not confident in his abilities. He constantly doubted himself and limited his abilities. His instructor didn't help at all. If anything, the Sergeant would have let a valuable SOLDIER like Cloud slip out of their grasp simply because he couldn't see anything past large muscles and destructive talents.

Still, the two had a lot in common. They were both extremely loyal to their friends and would go out of their ways to not burden those close to them. With Cloud, it took him awhile to open up, but with Zack, he was everyone's buddy. The two worked hard in whatever they did and even practiced more than others. The second class was a couch potato as far as paperwork was concerned. The two took pleasure in the simple things. From the stories Zack told him, Cloud appreciated the simple things in life that most people took for granted. Their hairstyle set them apart from the crowds. They defied gravity, continually taunting the natural force on a daily basis.

Angeal looked down at his paper and nothing made sense. He was on the third page of the report, but he had no idea what he recently read. Oh great, he had his head in the clouds figuratively. Now he just needed someone to find him like his student. He'd never hear the end of it if that happened.

A creak caused the dark haired SOLDIER to nearly crumple the report in his hand. He held his breath, waiting for his student to pounce on him like he always did though he didn't mind it all.

This time the door opened quietly and gracefully, the visitor strode in, a concerned look on his face. "Angeal, I had been knocking on your door for a full three minutes. Is there anything wrong?" And if there was, he also wanted to know how he could fix it. Professionalism aside, Angeal was one of the few friends he had and trusted.

Seeing The General and not his student, Angeal exhaled in relief. "No, I'm fine. No need to worry. Is there anything I can help you with?" Straight and to the point as always.

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly. "Where's the report on the Kalm mission?" It wasn't like Angeal to be late in handing it in very late, but it was out of character for him to adopt a puppy.

Glancing down at his report, the dark haired SOLDIER realized he was holding the very report Sephiroth was asking for. Why was it taking so long for him to read a simple report and then add his comments to it before shipping it off to his superior? He normally would have it finished within an hour and hand it to Sephiroth before the General could even have a chance to remember about asking for it.

Perhaps, he wasn't used to the fact that his student now had a student. Angeal was so used to having Zack follow him around like a puppy. It was disconcerting when he looked around for him and couldn't find him like he usually did. He half expected to find the second class dashing for a hiding spot or pretending to do something else if he was in a common area. Now the second class divided his time between the two of them. He didn't know how to feel. At first, he resented his puppy's attention not being on him, but when he met the small cadet for the first time (only had watched through the mirror), he couldn't muster up any ill feelings against him, no matter how hard he tried.

"Angeal, perhaps you should take the rest of the day off," Sephiroth suggested. How did he get so close? Before his second in command could protest, Sephiroth grabbed him by his arms and hauled him out of his chair. "Go before I order you to."

Man, it must be bad if Sephiroth of all people noticed and did something about it. The General was a master strategist, but he had no clue about human interaction, all thanks to Dr. Creepy. "I still have reports to finish and Zack's training. He's been progressing quite nicely, and I'd hate him to stop his—"

"Don't worry about the paperwork, I'll get Genesis to finish them."

If it weren't for the circumstances, Angeal might have smiled or even chuckled. "You know how he hates paperwork. Remember the last time he spent all day in his office?"

"Quite well, and he knows better than to do a repeat of that performance if he doesn't want to do that again." Even though he was a first class and could get away with a lot, Sephiroth made sure he got what was due to him and then some. The poor guy would never look the same way at a bathroom again, shared or not.

Well at least he survived. That was important, right? Right.

"Your student. You wouldn't be of any help if you were distracted yourself. He has a hard time focusing completely as it stands."

True, but he was becoming better at concentrating. Zack lasted longer in their practice duels. Still, his long time friend was right. He wouldn't be any help to Zack if he couldn't concentrate. Might as well spend their time lifting weights. It didn't require that much concentration.

"He would never let me forget if he ever finds out," Angeal responded with a sigh and a silent request that his student never find out about his lack of concentration. He prided himself on his control.

"This never happened, now go," Sephiroth indicated while he gathered Angeal's unfinished paperwork. It took him less time than he thought as his second in command hated procrastination and was very tidy unlike his student.

"Thank you, Seph, for everything."

Border

Meanwhile in the VR training room, Zack encouraged his student as he fought low level guards. He often linked his PHS to the system and watched Cloud in person, just in case he needed help or a swift, heroic rescue. If it was too much for him (which was never the case as he'd pick something he knew he could handle), he'd turn off the simulator. Thankfully, the Sephiroth program never kicked in at the low levels, but they had quite a few times where the Genesis program launched on its own. Usually, the Angeal program would activate and save the unfortunate soul.

For this simulation, Cloud had to fight his way through a terrorist outpost. It wasn't heavily guarded so it shouldn't overwhelm the cadet, but sometimes, he had difficulty with it, depending on how he felt that day. His objective was to gather information on the main group's movement without being caught. While there weren't many guards, the facility wasn't lacking in security features.

Cloud had almost made it out when one of the fallen guards sounded the alarm. The blond tore through the rooms, the disk securely tucked in his pocket. He managed to put some distance between him and his attackers, but they were everywhere, and he couldn't shake them. All he had to do was meet up with the driver of the ShinRa truck.

Just a little further, Cloud put all of his lessons into use. Of course, he didn't use Sergeant Okami's advice. He tried it once and looked like a complete fool in front of his mentor. Zack merely smiled and told him how to pull it off without looking like a klutz. Needless to say, Sergeant Okami wasn't pleased when it was demonstrated on him.

Whoosh!

Before he could blink, a guard ambushed him and the two went down hard. He was armed with only his fists, which was a good thing for Cloud. Rolling around, they grappled with each other. If he kept this up, there was no way he'd pass this mission, and it meant Zack had to save his scrawny rear again.

Well, that was not about to happen!

Using the ground as leverage, the cadet tried a dirty trick and aimed for the man's groin. He then shifted his focus away from that and towards his upper body. In one move, he pried the guard from on top of him and knocked him out cold.

'If you're fighting against someone stronger and bigger than you, use every advantage you have even if it's distracting him. You have advantages that big people like me don't.' Zack's words came back to him as if he was mentally talking to the cadet, which was physically impossible.

Sure, he was on the small side, but that didn't mean he was defenseless. Small people had their own way of fighting. Never underestimate them.

Skidding around the corner, Cloud had barely enough time to register the driver in the get away truck. He hoped it was part of the simulation like the Angeal or Sephiroth program, because Zack promised not to interfere. Even with the many hours he clocked in, he never met up with a Zack program.

"What are you waiting for? Them to invite us to tea?" The second class opened the door. He couldn't grab the blond, because it meant he interfered, but if he waited, the VR program would recognize Cloud as having completed the mission on his own.

The younger teen glared at him before he jumped into the vehicle. He knew that. Sometimes, he was tired of being treated like a kid. Actually, he hated being treated that way. So what if he didn't have a six pack? His body was still developing. A few years down the line, he'd have a body like Zack's. Then he'd show these people. He'd protect her like promised.

"Mission completed," a robotic voice announced before terminating the simulation. The two removed their visors and other devices.

"Great job, Cloudy!" Zack chirped and proceeded to glomp his student, not caring if he broke expensive equipment.

Fortunately for him, Cloud moved in such a way the VR equipment took no damage, but it meant he'd have a bruise or two in the morning. "Zack, we're holding sensitive equipment. I can't afford to replace it if you break it!"

"Don't worry about it. I have enough for it," the second class preened as he continued to hug his student. He couldn't get enough of holding Cloud like this, which was unfortunate for the poor blond. The cadet was like a big plushie, and Zack wanted to cuddle with him a lot. So cute!

A choking sound came from him. Yeah, right. Zack tended to spend his paycheck as soon as he got his hands on it. It was only with the help of Cloud that he started saving it and not wasting it on frivolous knickknacks.

"You know you can stop whatever you're doing." It was embarrassing.

"I'm making sure my chocobo made it out in one piece," Zack said without missing a beat. He felt Cloud tense for a moment and sag. Just like Angeal, Zack had given his student an embarrassing nickname.

"'M fine. Didn't need your help," the cadet muttered.

Zack was thankful Cloud couldn't see his face. He let down his cheerful mask for a few seconds before replacing it with his trademark smile. "Aw, my little Cloud's growing up."

That one little statement hurt more than being stabbed in the gut. Zack liked protecting his little Cloud and did his best to be a good mentor though he wasn't sure how it worked out. He did everything Angeal did when he was a cadet. Where did he go wrong? How could he be a better mentor?

Thinking about it, Zack realized he loved having someone who depended on him, not the other way around. He had been protected by Angeal on a daily basis that he needed to prove himself. To who and for what reason? He didn't know.

'So this must be how Angeal felt when I said I no longer needed him to watch over me like a hawk.' It didn't feel nice at all.

"You can let go any time," Cloud said, feeling both comfortable and uncomfortable in the second class' embrace. He loved being held like this, but he didn't want anyone to see him like this. It made him look like a girl.

Zack let out a long suffering sigh. He liked cuddling, so what of it? "Too much work, and I'm comfortable."

"People can see us," Cloud hissed, knowing the other as well as any SOLDIER within a range could hear him. He hoped they didn't have any cameras with them. Last time, he lucked out when the third class' camera malfunctioned before he could print the picture or for that matter, save it.

"So?"

If he could, Cloud would have put his face in his palm. Didn't Zack know a little thing they called tact?

A dark shadow fell over the VR entrance.

"Ah, I'll leave you two love birds alone."


	2. Dumb Apples

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a first for everything! Let's see how Cloud deals with these encounters, shall we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Same as first
> 
> This is a gift fic for an awesome writer, Amarissia. Check out her stories. I recommend everything she writes. Much luffs for her.
> 
> Cloud hates me after what I put him through or rather will. Zack is currently glaring at me. Angeal looks like he's going to kill someone... Hope it isn't me. As for Genesis, he is quite happy with this chapter. I dunno why.
> 
> Disclaimer: Same as first.

"We're finished here," Cloud said hastily as he tried to escape Zack's iron grip. The wandering hand wasn't helping either. He could try to remove it, but it would only draw attention to the act, and he was already mortified at being caught in this compromising position by one of his superiors, and it just had to be the most of insane of the first classes.

The first class paused mid-step and turned around. He wasn't going to miss this golden opportunity since Angeal tended to get in the way, but the commander wasn't here. He couldn't be everywhere. "In that case, I'll make myself at home." Where was the popcorn when he needed it?

"Let's go," Cloud whined. He pulled hard, trying to get his mentor to start moving. With all that muscle, he wasn't too heavy for someone like his size to move.

"No need to hurry, I'm not in a rush," the SOLDIER first said nonchalantly as he meandered to them. He purposely walked as slow as possible without making it seem that way. It also gave him a good view of Fair's hand on Strife's delectable ass.

"Mine," Zack said possessively, causing the older SOLDIER to laugh. He didn't like how the other was looking at Cloud, not one tiny bit. The second class wanted to… he didn't know what, but he knew nothing good came out of trying to beat a first.

"I knew it! Blondie's a definite uke. I mean just look at him. He's the perfect size. Eh, if you need any tips or toys, just come to me. I won't bite unless you ask me to."

Okay, this was getting too weird for him. Zack finally let Cloud have his way. He allowed himself to be dragged to where they kept their belongings after placing down the VR equipment.

"Such a big softie for a seme. I bet he likes it when you play rough with him," the SOLDIER first crooned, laughing when Zack hastily covered the cadet's innocent ears. "You sure know how to pick them, Fair."

The most important thing was to get him out of there before the other SOLDIER corrupted the innocent blue eyed blond. He kept his eyes on the first class in case he needed to distract the guy, giving Cloud a chance to flee.

"You like what you see? I'm sure there is plenty of me to go around." He stepped closer, flexing his impressive muscles.

"That's enough, Tala," Angeal growled. He didn't like anyone messing with his student.

Damn, his fun was ruined again. Tala ran his hand through his unruly bangs. "We were just having a little fun. No one was harmed. I swear I didn't touch either of them."

"Good," Angeal growled again. He deliberately placed himself between the two and Tala. Whoever allowed him into SOLDIER needed to be shot like now. "It had better stay that way."

"The master seme at work, heh."

"Tala," the commander said in his tone he normally used when dealing with the enemy. It meant someone was going to die a painful death. He rarely used that tone except when dealing with the extreme cases of disobedience within their ranks, and that was outside of battle.

Not wanting to die anytime soon, Tala knew when to stop pushing the line. While Angeal was widely known for his abundance in patience (How else would he be able to put up with Zack on a daily basis?), the man had his limits, and Tala wasn't so eager to really test them. He still needed to get laid. Many people were afraid to be with him after that reputation he had gained.

"I'll go do my training." He used his PHS to flip through the different missions. Naturally, he wanted something hard especially the ones where Sephiroth might appear. Of course, he had his reasons for wanting to see that particular program.

"Do that." Angeal was thankful Sephiroth made him leave whenever he was up to something. He never trusted Tala around second class or lower. The guy was more psychotic than Genesis, and that was saying something. He waited until the two departed the room before he gave one last warning look and left.

That guy was creepy and scary. Cloud hoped he'd never see that SOLDIER first again. Wait, that would be impossible. One day, he'd be a first class. That meant learning how to deal with them even if he wanted to run away.

"How are you holding up, Cloudy?" Zack asked once the door closed. He knew Tala could hear him, but Cloud was more important. Plus, Angeal was there. The commander would protect the both of them.

Cloud gave him that pitiful kicked puppy look that made Zack (and Angeal) want to grab him and take him to safety where he'd never be hurt again. He also walked closer to his mentor. If he could, he'd be walking on Zack.

"Don't worry, we'll protect you," the second class said though it was more to assure himself. Ever since that incident over a year ago, he was extremely protective of the young cadet. He'd go through hell and back if it meant keeping Cloud happy. Zack noticed the blond look over at Angeal. Must be wondering whether or not Angeal would protect him. He was like untouchable, but he knew from experience that wasn't true.

"If anyone lays so much as a finger on you without your permission, they are going to pay dearly."

'Promise?" Cloud asked tentatively.

The older SOLDIER nodded his head. He'd lay down his life for any of his SOLDIERs except when they were the culprits. Then all protection was off. He promised not to draw out any pain. For someone he had recently met, he felt inexplicably drawn to the blond cadet. He felt that a long time ago, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Was it worth it?

"Thank you."

So definitely worth it.

"Hey, you'd definitely tell me if someone's bullying you, right?" Zack asked. He knew Cloud didn't want to be a burden to him and often kept such things to himself. If he only knew how much he worried the second class. There were times where Zack would pace back and forth in his mentor's office, rambling about the dangers lurking out there, real or not. He just couldn't imagine Cloud being able to fend off several people. He was such a cute chocobo and glompable too. It was hard to think of him becoming one of them, a tool of mass destruction and killing. He really didn't want it. The very thought of it made his stomach lurch.

Suddenly, the cadet found his feet to be the most interesting thing in the world. He couldn't make promises. Mom told him if he could not keep a promise, he should not make it in the first place. Cloud didn't understand it at first, but he learned over time, the value of a promise. He didn't want anyone to feel the disappointment he felt on a daily basis. It was painful.

The two older SOLDIERs looked over at each other and frowned. Something had to be done about this. If the horrible students kept ganging up on the promising SOLDIERs, they might have to lower their standards, something neither of them wanted.

By the way Angeal looked at him, it meant he wanted to talk, but not then and there. He needed to talk to Zack alone.

Pretending to be the puppy he was, Zack changed the conversation in favor of a lighter conversation. Plus, he was secretly curious. "Angeal, I thought you were working. What's up?" He knew for a fact his mentor wouldn't ditch work to hang out with them, not if it meant doing their favorite thing.

The first class averted his gaze. Damn, his student's ability to read him. "Seph thought I could use a break. He thinks I work too much." It was close to the truth without revealing his current predicament or rather predicaments.

Something was up. Zack knew it, and as for Cloud, he was off in his own land. "I think you work too hard and most certainly earned a break or two or three. Besides, why would you want to spend your time in a stuff office when you can spend your time with two cuties?"

Angeal let out an exasparated sigh. "Don't be pretentious." However, he would never tell a single soul he agreed with his apprentice. They were too cute for their own good.

"You don't think we're cute?" Cloud unexpectedly asked. Wasn't he supposed to have his head in the clouds? He looked up at Angeal with those big round blue eyes.

"I don't measure people according to their physical appearance," the first class said calmly as he headed back to their apartment. While Zack could have gotten his own place, he preferred staying with his mentor. Angeal originally insisted on the second class having his own place, but when Zack went on his first mission, the first class refused to let his puppy move out. He even pulled in a favor from Sephiroth, who was more than amused by this turn of events that he actually allowed it. Hardly anyone opposed him when he wanted something.

It wasn't worth losing him over a second class SOLDIER. How would this happen? Well, Angeal would leave, taking Zack with him. Of course, that meant Cloud would soon follow, because he could usually be found in the presence of Fair. Now that wouldn't mean anything to the company, seeing as they were all expendable. However, Sephiroth had a long history with Angeal, and most likely be leaving with him. Almost the entire first class would leave, because they were very loyal to the General.

Thus, it was better for everyone if Zack stayed put.

In fact, they insisted he stay put.

Really, they did.

Zack made an odd sound and rolled his eyes. "Sure, you don't. I know for a fact that you-" He was abruptly cut off when his mentor nudged him hard. "You don't have to be so rough... except maybe in the bedroom. I wouldn't mind."

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Angeal said, giving him his usual glare, which had no effect on him. He had become used to it by now that it didn't faze him. Damn. That or the first class was becoming too soft. He certainly hoped it wasn't the case. While he wanted to be casual with his SOLDIERs, his enemies were a different story.

The second class grinned impishly. "You know you don't have to be in denial. A healthy relationship is about being open and honest and all that good stuff."

Now if he could close something, Angeal would be happy. He grabbed his card and slid it through the card reader. "Have you ever heard of a little thing we call privacy?"

"Maybe," Zack sung in a teasing way as he stepped through the door. He didn't even bat an eye at his implications.

"Your homework is to look it up in a dictionary and write a half page report on it."

Zack's jaw dropped. "You have to be kidding. I haven't had to do homework since my cadet days," he wailed pitifully as he clung onto his mentor. "Why must you be so cruel? Tell him, Cloudy."

When silence greeted them, the SOLDIERs turned around to find Cloud mysteriously absent. Where was he?

"Do you think?" Zack gasped as his mind raced through every what if scenario he could think of. His mind went from minor incidents to worst case scenarios. He didn't like either of them. Oh no, his poor little Cloud was out there with the big, bad SOLDIER first classes. He was too cute not to be molested and...

History could repeat itself.

That was not going to happen, not while Zack was around and could do something about it. He wasn't about to let Cloud's innocence be ripped away.

Angeal placed a hand on the shorter SOLDIER, seeing as he couldn't keep still for more than a second. Plus it was obvious to anyone that Zack was stressing out over the absence of his student even if it was only a few minutes. "Take deep breaths and calm down. I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this."

Without warning, the younger SOLDIER grabbed his superior and started shaking him as if that would help the situation. "Calm down? My little chocobo could be in their filthy claws! We have to do something, anything."

Gently and calmly as he could Angeal pried off his student. If this happened when Strife left for a few minutes, he couldn't imagine how Zack would react when the blond finally received a mission as a SOLDIER. They'd probably have to tranq him or get Angeal to wrestle him into submission. "Let's trace back our steps. If he had been taken, there would be signs of a struggle, and if not, I promise to do all within my power to find him. Okay?"

The second class took deep breaths. "You're right as always. Let's go!" He promptly headed off in a direction and was quickly turned in the right direction by his mentor. "I meant to do that!"

Sighing, the first class followed the second class down the corridor.

Border

Outside the first class dorms, Cloud looked at the door, hesitantly shifting his weight. Out of all the times he spent with his mentor, he had never stepped foot inside the first class dorms let alone looked at them. Sure, Zack lived with Angeal, but they always spent their time in the training room, cafeteria, library, and anywhere off ground that Zack saw fit to drag him to. There was even that one place, but the second class assured him everything would be fine so long as they weren't separated.

Most important of all, Cloud wasn't supposed to be here. It was off limits to second class and lower. He was ranked below troopers, which wasn't saying much. After one last look, the cadet turned to leave. He didn't want to cause any trouble.

Not even three steps away from the entrance, the blond found himself face to face with a first class SOLDIER, but not just any first class. Oh no, with Cloud's luck he managed to run into one of the legendary SOLDIERs. Anyone would have used this opportunity to brag or find a way to befriend this guy; however, Cloud wasn't anyone.

He smiled nervously and tried to skirt around him. Sadly, fate was against him as usual.

"Come to see the Great Sephiroth's home? Sorry to disappoint you, kid, he doesn't live here."

Cloud shook his head. He wasn't there to see Sephiroth. It would be a bonus if he actually saw the silver haired SOLDIER in person. Actually he figured he would either faint or do something stupid in front of The General.

"Mute, eh?" The first class rubbed his chin, looking over the blond. He was cute in an innocent, naïve way. It would be fun corrupting him. Oh very fun, indeed. "So you're here to visit a friend?" Once again, he received a no.

If anything, he hated playing these games. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If he wasn't stalking Sephiroth (like most cadets) or visiting a friend, then he must have orders, but orders were usually given in the office area, not residential. It was puzzling to say the least.

"So what are your orders?" He wondered if he could join, assuming it was what his dirty little mind conjured up.

Turning his head away, Cloud a faint blush. He hoped his superior wouldn't notice, but fate had other things in mind. "I knew it! Who is it? I promise I tell. Count on it. Now spill and don't leave out any details."

Once again, the first class was met with silence. Tough one, he was. If it wasn't Sephiroth, then it must be another. "Me?" No. "Angeal?" No. "Tala?" Shudder. Definitely no. "Micah?" No. "Wes?" No. "Kurai?" No. "Christian?" No. "Can you give me a hint or something?" No.

This one was a challenge, and he loved challenges. His missions were rather boring as of lately. Couldn't they send a second class rather than waste his time? For example, a few days ago, Sephiroth had asked him to do... paperwork of all things! They knew he hated paperwork with a passion and would gladly use it to start a fire or three. Then The General just had to bring up that incident. He would never look at a bathroom the same way again even if he had to use it badly.

"Come on. I'm not a mind reader, you know."

"Genesis, quit bothering the cadet."

The first class whirled around to see his friend approaching him, the puppy in tow. He held his hands up in a defensive manner. "No need for the third degree. I was just having a friendly conversation with the cadet."

Angeal glared at him while Zack pulled the small blond behind him, using his body as a human shield.

"I swear I didn't touch him. The kid can vouch for me." Genesis looked over to where the cadet was hidden. The blond was small enough to be hidden by the puppy. "Though he's mute. We should get him a notepad or one of those small boards."

"Don't you have duties to attend to?" Angeal made it clear his presence wasn't necessary. He stood stiffly and placed his hand on his hip. "Like that mission report?"

The auburn haired SOLDIER let out an odd noise, having been denied his new favorite toy. "Fine be that way. You're too serious for your own good. Has anyone told you that? I think you need to get laid."

Not far away, Zack clamped a hand over his mouth. He had been saying the same thing over and over, but his mentor never listened. One of these days, he needed to get drunk and then laid.

Oh crap, SOLDIERs especially first classes were hard to get drunk. Scratch that idea. Angeal needed to skip the getting drunk part and go for the getting laid one.

"I think you-" Before he could finish his sentence, Angeal noticed the other first class already entering the dorms. It was easier to keep Zack still than to get something through his head. Once Genesis wasn't being a problem, he turned his attention to the young blond. "Hey cadet, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Or touch you?"

From behind Zack, Cloud peered around him and shook his head. "No, he didn't do either of those. I feel fine. No need to worry about me." He really meant it. After all, he was a lowly cadet. They were the best of the best.

Aw man, they were back to square one again. Maybe they needed to spend more time around each other. The only thing they had in common was Zack. Grinning, the second class planned to make full use of his connections with them.

"What are you plotting?" Angeal said, cautiously stepping forward as if Zack was a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second.

There was that look. It was pathetic.

But it was so cute.

"Who ever said I was plotting?"

"Because I know you better than that, Puppy." The thought of whapping his student with a rolled up newspaper became very appealing. It wouldn't help either of them as there were enough jokes floating around.

"You wound me." Zack moved his hands over his heart and staggered backwards, being careful not to run over his chocobo. He stopped when he saw his mentor starting to leave. "Wait for us!"

Cloud gasped as he was dragged by the overenthusiastic second class. He tried to squirm away as he really didn't want to get in trouble or Zack either.

"Hey, what's wrong?" the second class asked while he signaled Angeal to slow down.

The cadet hesitated and shuffled around, shifting his weight with unease. "I shouldn't be here. I'm only a cadet."

"Cloud, I am permitting you in here. If anyone has a problem with it, they have to deal with me, and they won't like it." Angeal was serious. If he wanted to bring people over, he'd bring people over especially those who have a good bond with his student. He wasn't going to cut off his puppy from the rest of the world.

"Really?"

The first class nodded his head. "You're special to Zack. He talks about you a lot."

This made the cadet blush. He didn't think he was an interesting subject. "Okay."

"So how about that dinner you promised?" Zack said as he pulled the two behind him.

"Dinner?" Cloud squeaked while being led.

"Of course. It's too early for breakfast and too late for lunch. Maybe we can have a very late lunch and then dinner?"

"Don't be stupid."

"I heard it was contagious," Cloud spoke before he could think about what he said. He wished he could tape his mouth before he blurted out things he shouldn't say in front of his superiors.

Border

Seconds passed like minutes. Minutes passed like hours. Everything was too slow in his opinion, but then again he could never sit still for more than seven minutes at a time.

As he wanted to entertain his guest, Angeal insisted they order take out and that he paid. He knew Zack would want to help out, but the second class had a hard time saving his money. Only through Cloud was he able to start saving small amounts at a time. His puppy tended to be spontaneous and buy whatever caught his eye. Even though they weren't expensive, they added up over time.

Cloud insisted that they didn't go through all this trouble for him. He could always eat at the cadet cafeteria even though their food tasted worse than moldy bread at times. Plus they had done so much for him. He appreciated their assistance even when he didn't ask for it. They were such thoughtful people.

Both Angeal and Zack assured him they didn't mind. In fact, they were going to order out anyways, because the first class didn't trust Zack in the kitchen. It wasn't that he'd hurt himself, more on the impending death by Zack's cooking. At one point, he tried his student's soup and declared it to be toxic. He even took it down to the labs for analysis where they made it a weapon. Zack never knew what happened to it, and he planned on keeping it that way.

While waiting for the food, they engaged in casual conversation, ranging from the latest news to how Cloud was doing in his classes. Of course, Zack had managed to keep up a one person conversation for about fifteen minutes before he realized Cloud had fallen asleep and Angeal zoned out. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased by it and woken up his little chocobo in a not so nice manner. As for Angeal, he attempted to sneak up on him, however, all he managed to do was to be flipped over the couch.

"He never learns," Angeal said about his student. This earned him a death glare, but he found it to be very adorable on his puppy.

"I think it's his thick skull," Cloud said sleepily. He blinked his eyes a few times only to find Zack pouting on the floor. "Think of it as a natural helmet!"

"Thank the goddess for that. Even if I manage to get a helmet on him, there is no doubt he'd forget to wear it the next time."

"But couldn't we like post it notes all over the place? I mean he can't be that blind."

"This is Zack we're talking about."

"Duly noted."

"Unholy partnership," Zack muttered and glared at the two conspirators until someone knocked on the door.

Angeal excused himself to answer it as it happened to be the delivery guy. He quickly paid him and shut the door before he could figure out who he really was. The last thing he wanted was some fan boy, ruining their bonding moment. Could it really be called that? No, he was hanging out with Zack's friend. That was all.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

Having been a SOLDIER for a long time and gone on long missions, Angeal knew the best restaurants and which things to avoid when ordering. He also knew a few of the owners by name. They weren't exactly happy about his affiliation with ShinRa, but they respected him as a human and were more than willing to overlook his employer so long as he didn't cause any trouble.

Cloud, being reticent by nature, allowed Angeal to do all the ordering. He wasn't picky so long as it resembled food and tasted like it too. As far as Zack went, he'd eat almost anything edible except maybe the cafeteria surprises. No one knew what went into them. Many of the cadets and even SOLDIERs took guesses. Some said they were rejected experiments from the labs as they didn't want to waste anything. Others insisted they were the result of scientific development to make them into better SOLDIERs. Hey, if they could eat that, then they should be able to make it in the program.

Once they had eaten their fill, they lounged around on the couches, content with watching whatever was on TV. Zack grabbed the remote before either of his companions could and flipped through the channels. He didn't stay on one for long, finding them boring after a minute or two. After cycling through the channels so many times, Cloud sneaked up behind the younger SOLDIER and stole the remote before scrambling away from Zack.

The second class had barely any time to register the remote not being in his hand and then took a long time for it to fully sink in. Cloud had stolen the remote from him.

This escalated into an all out pillow fight until Angeal separated the two. He even put Zack into a headlock, which caused Cloud to laugh until tears streamed down his face. The second class looked so pathetic it was so funny.

Then Cloud realized it was close to his curfew and excused himself. He wanted to go alone, seeing as they were both home. However, Zack insisted he accompany the blond all the way back to the barracks. Who knew what lurked between here and there? Neither of the SOLDIERs were willing to take that chance.

Border

Shuffling back to his dorms, Cloud tried not to stare at those manly biceps, but the way Zack flexed them, it was hard to miss. Instead he kept his eyes straight and almost down. Occasionally, he looked up to see if he needed to fight or flee. That was not likely to be the case as he had his own bodyguard if a puppy could be counted as one.

When Cloud saw him for the first time, he just wanted to hide, to sink into the planet and never come out. It was so humiliating. Zack exuded confidence and power. He seemed like a first class, but in reality, he was only a second class. It seemed like yesterday when he met the SOLDIER, albeit, in an awkward situation.

Flashback

Not wanting to be seen, Cloud crept along the edges. It worked in the past as they tended to forget he even existed. He hoped these bullies wouldn't notice him. They preyed upon people who couldn't defend themselves and had never been fair. It was always at least two against one if not more.

Today was no exception.

Their instructor had an emergency to handle, thus, canceled class. The cadets had shuffled out and gathered at the common areas, one of which included their dorm lounge.

Cloud just wanted to go back to his bed and take a short nap. Fate had been against him ever since he was born. As he was about to exit the lounge, he caught the attention of the resident bully. He immediately took off after recognizing the voice, a stampede soon followed him.

Only one thing was on his mind, get to safety. If there were SOLDIERs around, the bullies wouldn't try anything or at least he hoped so. Very few SOLDIERs hung around the cadet dorms. Many of them preferred to stay within their area. He didn't blame them. Cadet equipment was crappy.

Blue eyes quickly scanned the area for the tell tale signs of glowing eyes, a sign of mako. As the seconds passed, he became desperate to find someone, anyone. He thought he had been running towards the heavily trafficked area, but he was wrong. In his haste to get away, he took a wrong turn and was now heading towards a deserted area of the compound.

His thoughts became erratic as he tried to find a way to escape. The sweat poured from him, covering him in a thin sheet. It felt uncomfortable, but it was the last thing on his mind. The thought of fists and kicks bruising him spurred him, but how long could he keep this up?

Every step he took sent jolts up his body. He could feel every movement as if he had been caught in slow animation. Every cell in his body worked until they could no longer handle it. His lungs cried out for oxygen as he pushed himself harder and harder. His muscles protested with each and every movement. He was ready to collapse. The dancing colors didn't help either.

The cadet got his wish.

"What do you know, pretty boy can run," the boss of the bullies laughed derisively from his perch on Cloud's back. He too was covered in sweat, but he didn't let that stop him. For the workout the blond gave, he'd repay it in double, no triple the amount.

"You said it, Boss."

"What are you going to do?"

Cloud fervently prayed they'd lose interest in him and move onto something else. With his energy spent running, he couldn't fight back even though his mind screamed for his body to do something. He felt himself being picked up by the back of his shirt. It choked him for a moment. He didn't have time to react to this. The air rushed out of him as a fist met his unprotected gut.

"We are going to practice our moves. I don't see Strife disagreeing." Another punch landed, and he did nothing except curl up.

The other three voiced their agreements, eager to get their turn. Strife was just too easy, and he never told anyone. Basically, he was the perfect prey, and they loved tormenting him on a daily basis. As long as the injuries could be covered, they were in the clear. The instructors could care less as long as they did as ordered.

With the three of them, they used rock, paper, scissors to decide who went first. It didn't matter to Cloud. They were all going to have their turns using him as a human punching bag. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. If he separated his mind from his body, he wouldn't have to feel the blows. He wouldn't react. It was as if he retreated into his mind.

"Boss, he isn't doing anything," one of the minions complained. It wasn't fun when Strife didn't react.

They needed to do something drastic if they wanted any reaction. The boss motioned them to step away from the curled up Cloud. Once they stood back, he kneeled down so he could get a good hold on the blond. He flipped the smaller cadet onto his back and reached in for his prize.


	3. Inner Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack's first encounter with Cloud isn't a pleasant one, but he manages to play the hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mentions of rape. You've been warned.

Disclaimer: Chibi doesn't own FFVII or anything of its spin offs.

Indeed Cloud reacted. No one touched him there, not ever since he was little and needed to be changed. He squirmed and tried to escape, but the heavy weight on him pinned him down. As his arms were free, he attempted to push off the bully before it made contact.

Too late. The hand grabbed his sensitive part. Clenching his eyes tightly, he prepared for a world of pain. That never happened. The offending appendage started rubbing and massaging him.

Blue eyes opened wide to find dark ones staring back at him. Was he? No, boys didn't have sex with other boys. It wasn't natural.

"I bet you like it," the bully purred in a low voice. They had battered his body, but the blond hadn't yielded to them yet. This might be the breaking point. He worked mainly on the shaft and occasionally the sacs.

No, no, no! This wasn't happening. He was too young for this. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the larger cadet off of him.

"That wasn't tough," the bully taunted as he felt Cloud harden under his ministrations. It was only a matter of minutes before he had it fully erect. The blond must have never been touched this way.

Cloud never felt so violated. He didn't know whether to allow himself the pleasure of the experience or feel repulsed. The bully was intimately touching him without his permission.

"Boss, you're good. He's crying."

"Of course, I am. Who do you think I am, the Dork?"

Everyone shook their heads, not wanting to offend their short tempered leader.

Was he crying? Yes, he was. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he stifled any moans. This wasn't right. His clothes were too tight.

"Should we help him?" the boss cackled triumphantly. He knew he wouldn't receive any objections from the others. They followed him blindly, and he used that to his advantage. He used his free hand to start undoing the button and zipper.

Cloud's hands immediately grabbed the boss' wrist, but it didn't do any good. He wasn't strong enough. Wasn't strong enough to defend himself. How could he defend her when he couldn't even protect himself?

Once done, he somehow managed to get the blond's shoes off. It was as if he had done this before. The boss made short work of the standard cadet pants and Cloud's unique chocobo boxers. What sight to behold. Now he really wanted to do more than jerk the blond off. He wanted to feel that warmth and tightness inside of him.

As he began undoing his pants, he heard someone yell at them. He looked up to see a second class SOLDIER approaching them with a more than pissed off expression. The guy looked like he was going to be ripping off heads and rolling them. Quickly, he fastened his pants.

Before he could get off the crying teen, he found himself dangling and staring into SOLDIER eyes. Wasn't this place supposed to be deserted?

"What the hell are you doing?" the second class asked, barely containing his rage. One move was all it took to end his pathetic life. It required his entire willpower not to casually snap the would be rapist's neck.

"We were having a little fun, right?" The boss looked over to his 'loyal' followers, who were slowly scooting away, hoping to be forgotten.

They nervously glanced at each other before dumbly nodding. Maybe they should have made a break for it. Then again, none of them could outrun a second class even on a good day.

Seeing the SOLDIER, Cloud wanted to die of humiliation. He was half naked in front of a second class SOLDIER. Whimpering, he curled up, hiding his private parts.

"Is that what you call fun? Tormenting your peers?" the SOLDIER seethed with almost uncontrolled rage. He shook the boss a few times. "You're sick and twisted. For your sake, you had better not do this again. Names!"

"Evan Whittier, sir."

"David Sanders."

"Joshua Hartford."

"Ivan Daniels."

Green eyes looked over at the three. "You three are to report to Commander Hewley for your participation. For now, I expect you all to write a page long apology to your fellow cadet unless you have any objections." He didn't look like he was going to change his mind.

Three heads were shaken. They would rather write an apology than run laps or worse the obstacle course within a certain amount of time.

"Dismissed, now get out of my sight. As for you, you're in deep trouble." The second class didn't have to look to know the others had departed. This showed how much potential they had, completely none. "We don't take rape lightly here. What you were about to do is disgusting. I hope you can live with yourself."

Evan swallowed air. He hadn't thought that far ahead.

"You're to report to General Sephiroth first thing tomorrow. If I hear you skipped, I will hunt you down like the dog you are."

The older cadet paled at the thought of seeing The General. While he would jump at the chance, he didn't want it to be under these circumstances. As soon as he was released, he stumbled backwards.

"Go before I changed my mind."

Whittier didn't waste any time and ran as if his life depended on it. If there was one thing he learned, never mess with a SOLDIER even third especially when their eyes turn green. Closing his eyes, he took deep breaths. It wouldn't help if he directed his anger at the victim. He then took quick strides after opening his eyes. The frail looking blond looked so cute and vulnerable. He just wanted to fix it and make everything better.

"It's okay," he spoke softly like he would to a wounded wild chocobo. He had a feeling the cadet didn't like being compared to those large birds. "They're gone. You're safe. I promise I won't tell anyone what happened or at least that you in specific were involved in this, okay?"

The boy curled up further if possible.

"Please. I want to help. Eh, I suppose introductions would be a good start. The name is Zachary Fair, but call me Zack. And none of this sir crap. I'm not that old!" The second class kneeled down next to the cadet. He slowly reached over, hoping the blond wouldn't pull away or slap his hand either.

Watery blue eyes looked into mako blue. He sniffled but didn't move away from the gentle touches, but his eyes widened. Cloud couldn't believe this SOLDIER was being so gentle and patient. He felt even worse when he realized the guy saved him. 'Must have interrupted him.'

"Hey, no need to be ashamed. You look beautiful." Zack started petting Cloud, running his hand through the soft blond spikes. He would have sent them to the hospital, but that meant a lot of paperwork and explaining to do.

"I do?"

"I maybe slow, but I don't lie." Zack reached out and picked up Cloud's torn pants. "Looks like you'll need clothes. Don't worry, I have something I can spare, but it will be big on you."

"Why are you helping?" No one ever helped him.

Mako blue eyes blinked. "Why not? You know you're cute when you're blushing."

This caused Cloud's blush to deepen and him to look cuter. He slowly uncurled but kept his private parts hidden. The SOLDIER had started to rummage through his large bag for something. From a sitting position, Cloud watched Zack warily. Who knew what he had in there? He seemed friendly enough though.

"Aha! I got you!" Zack shouted in triumph and Cloud fell over in shock, actually more like tipped over. The SOLDIER held up a pair of pants in nodded in approval. "You'll have to go commando, but I guess it's better than nude."

The second class certainly had a way with words. As much as Cloud wanted to accept it, he really didn't want to flash everyone again.

Being able to read people, Zack dropped the pants in the blond's lap and turned around so he could have a little privacy. "Tell me when you're decent."

"Okay," Cloud said softly. He managed to put on the pants without showing too much. Like Zack said, he had to roll up the bottom and hold up the waistband or it would drop. "Finished."

Zack turned around and whistled appreciatively. The cadet looked really good in his clothes. Actually, he looked downright adorable. "All you need is my shirt, and you'll be perfect." Normally, he'd glomp anything cute, but he wasn't that thick headed. He remembered what happened earlier. If anything, it would make it worse.

The blush made him look cuter if possible.

"Hey, you wanna join me for lunch? I know this great place and (gasp), they serve real food. I know you're dying for some after eating gods knows what."

Cloud nodded his head without thinking about it. He had enough of the cafeteria, but it was all he could afford on their meager salary and his savings. Unlike some of the other cadets, he couldn't depend on his mother to send him anything, and he didn't know what his father was doing. His mother kept telling him that if he needed anything to tell her and she'd send the money over.

Besides, it was nice having someone eat with him even if it was only once.

Little did he know that it would not be just once. In fact, he'd have to pry the SOLDIER off of him if he wanted to eat alone… That was if said SOLDIER happened to be off or avoiding paperwork at the time.

Thus began a beautiful (if not confusing) friendship (or was it more, hm?).

End Flashback

"And we had hot sex on the kitchen table."

"What?"

Zack grinned in good nature. "Hello to you. Welcome back to the living. Collect two hundred gil and pass go."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "I was just thinking."

"Thinking about what?" the SOLDIER asked eagerly. He wanted, no needed to find out. His curiosity flat out demanded an answer especially since it was hard to figure out what went through that spiky head at times.

Should he? He knew Zack tended to be overprotective… a lot. "About us."

The second class batted his eyes and then slung an arm over Cloud's shoulder. He pulled the cadet closer to him. "Aw, I'm so touched. You do care."

"In your dreams." He pulled away from his first friend at this cursed place. At times, he wondered why in the hell did he ever join this organization. He didn't seem to be cut out for SOLDIER, but he persisted while the others in his village would only dream of making it there.

The second class pretended to sniffle. "Cloudy, I'm deeply wounded, very deeply wounded. After all we've been through, don't I mean anything to you?"

In response, Cloud sighed. He knew his mentor was faking it as usual. "You already know the answer to that."

"But I wanna hear it straight from the chocobo's beak." This time he received a glare.. Awww… How cute!

"Why can't you take me seriously?" This glare, Cloud seemed to have put a lot of effort behind it. It would make Sephiroth proud.

"Aw, please don't be mad. Clouds should be all fluffy and cute, not broody and dark." Maybe he went a little too far.

After a moment of heavy silence, Cloud sighed yet again. Why couldn't he stay mad at him? "I'm not mad. More like irritated." That was the best way to describe how he felt. He knew Zack was only teasing him and at times, he could put up with it, but right now wasn't one of those times.

At least, he wasn't mad, which meant only one thing… Glomp time! Zack loved to snuggle and didn't care whether or not they were in public. Just like a puppy, he was affectionate, sometimes a little too affectionate.

As they were at the cadet dorms, Cloud used his small stature to his advantage and slipped out of the SOLDIER's more powerful grasp. "Thank you for walking me back, but it wasn't necessary."

There was that same pang. Zack continued smiling as he always did. "But I wanted to. I miss seeing my-" glare "Cloudy."

"If you say so."

"Now how about my goodnight kiss?" Instead Zack received a door to his puckered lips. One of these days, he was going to get Cloud to loosen up. In a way, he was like Angeal and somewhat like Sephiroth. Man, he so didn't need this.

To think, he thought getting Sephiroth to open up was hard. The guy was practically untouchable. Zack thought the same thing too until he saw The General interacting with both Genesis and Angeal. They seemed to be more than comrades, more like friends. As he continued watching the three, they acted more like friends. He didn't know how friendly, but he was glad that Sephiroth had people looking out for him.

Then they started their relationship, he and Angeal. Since Zack knew Sephiroth didn't have too much time away from work let alone friends, he made sure that he didn't take up too much of Angeal's time. He wasn't sure what Genesis did though he wasn't too eager to find out. His lover told him not to be alone with the guy for vague reasons. The second class trusted his mentor and did as told.

Turning back to the first class dorms, Zack lost himself in his wandering thoughts about Cloud, himself, and Angeal.

When Zack first met Cloud, he was shy and insecure. Actually, he still was, but he began opening up to Zack and talking with some of his classmates even if it was only during class. He didn't hide in the corners or shadows like he usually did, but he still needed work. If it weren't for him being able to be read easily, the second class would have to say he would make a damn fine Turk, however, he knew what the road was ahead. He wouldn't wish that upon Cloud to have a small part of his soul ripped from him every single time he received an order to assassinate someone.

In spite of the awkwardness of their first meeting, the second class had seen the potential in him and had started to make time so they could train. Being a second class had its advantages. He held authority over third class and lower, but at the same time, he didn't have to fill out those annoying and ever growing stacks of paperwork that seemed to breed like bunnies on industrial strength Viagra. Not only that, he had more free time than most first classes. If he didn't have time, he shifted his schedule around as much as he could, which amused Sephiroth to no ends. Apparently Zack was doing the same thing as his mentor did not too long ago. They both shifted their schedules and did whatever it took to help a cadet, who at the time looked promising.

It felt odd to be in a reverse position. It had been rewarding, but at the same time frustrating.

Zack had watched Cloud blossom under his care. He felt proud of him, but at the same time, he never wanted to let his little chocobo go. One day, Cloud would become an adult and be independent. As much as the SOLDIER wanted it, he liked being Cloud's protector, the one he turned to when he was in over his head.

Without the blond, Zack felt a large piece of his life missing. It didn't feel right. It wasn't… he didn't know what to think except he didn't like it.

"Maybe Angeal would know," Zack said out loud before shaking his head and smacking his cheeks. "Bad idea. I'd be lectured to death if that's possible. Sephiroth's out of the question. I don't think he'd understand any of this. Who can I ask? Oh, I know!"

Sadly Zack just remembered he had been sent on a mission a few days ago and had yet to return.

Without warning, Zack started laughing. Lately, his entire universe had been centered around Cloud and Angeal. Their friendship wasn't in danger or anything, but something had changed. He wanted to spend as much time with Cloud as he did with Angeal. Not only that, but his day usually depended on how Cloud was doing. He should find it disturbing, yet, he didn't.

"Cloud, what are you doing to me?"

Border

Once his student and his student's student departed their dwelling, it self Angeal to his own devices until Zack returned. He considered finishing his reports, however, he remembered Sephiroth took them and assigned them to Genesis. Maybe that was why he messed with Cloud. Did he know? No, he couldn't have known unless he caught Angeal watching Cloud. Today was the first time he met the cadet in person after watching him for a few days (or weeks?).

While they were friends, Angeal had a feeling all was not well between them. He hated to involve Sephiroth especially if ended up being in the middle of their feud or argument. Sephiroth didn't have many friends, and he didn't want to make the General pick between the two of them. Well actually three if he counted Zack. His student (lover) could make friends out of almost everybody.

Perhaps a good book would help. The first class wandered over to his book shelf and selected a book on strategy. As soon as his dark eyes fell on Zack's shelf, he shook his head. The second class wasn't much of a reader. His books were mainly old textbooks (which he lent to Cloud) and comics. Angeal never did understand his student's obsession with them, but he doubted he could fully understand him in this lifetime or any other. It was at least better than him trying to get drunk on a regular basis.

After getting into a comfortable position, the SOLDIER opened his book and started reading. At least, he attempted. While he was consciously reading, the words didn't register in his mind. He was at a loss as to why.

A cadet shouldn't occupy his mind. Yet, it happened once. He couldn't imagine a day without his bouncy personality. They were complete opposites and somehow they fit perfectly. It was like oil and water.

Thinking back, Angeal remembered the first time he saw Zack. He didn't know why he went to the observation deck, but he was drawn there. His reason… he had none. It was an inexplicable in his rational mind. He told Sephiroth he wanted to see the potential SOLDIERs, but they both knew it was an excuse.

That was when he saw him. Zack couldn't keep still and often irritated his instructors with his bounciness. In spite of his short attention span, they taught him. His teachers didn't know how to channel his energy or show him how to focus. He required one on one training, and someone who was patient.

Angeal recommended that Zack be entered into the mentorship program. The other first classes were surprised and said that it was unheard of especially if the mentor was a first class SOLDIER. Normally mentorships started after they passed SOLDIER exam, and even then, it was scarce. The second class usually ended up being mentors to the newly promoted third class, but sometimes, a first class would take an interest in them. However, it was rare for a high ranking first class to be a mentor since they had a lot of duties such as overseeing SOLDIER.

They wanted to assign Micah, the first class in charge of training. He was calm and more importantly patient. Most of his duties were centered around headquarters so that wouldn't pose a problem. It was ideal, but Angeal wasn't pleased by it. He didn't know why he hated the idea of another teaching Zack. Micah proved himself over and over to be a responsible teacher. After all, he looked after Wesley as well as his younger brothers, all five of them.

Thud!

Angeal looked over to where his student fell. "Zack, how many times must I tell you? It's not safe to sneak up on me."

One of these days, Zack was going to catch Angeal off guard, and when that happened, he was going to relish the moment. "It's not fair. You always catch me off guard." He crossed his arms and sulked. Poor Puppy. Actually, he looked quite edible, and Angeal had to force himself not to drag the second class off to his bed. So very tempting.

Right now, his student looked more like a teenager (or puppy in his case) than one of the elite SOLDIERs. At times like this, he was glad Zack could act his age even if it was irritating. Teens should be teens, not killing machines. "That's because you're easily distracted, Puppy."

"Am not!" came the automatic reply.

The older SOLDIER stood up, placing his book on the table next to him. He had already read it a few times. "Is that any way a future first class should behave?"

This caused Zack to pout even more. The answer was no, and he knew it. He didn't want to grow up any time soon. It was just… not fair.

As he was sulking, he didn't know his mentor moved onto the floor. Other than that, he wasn't even looking at Angeal. It was his reason for squealing like a girl when Angeal's muscular arms enveloped him, preventing him from jumping.

"Relax, Puppy. It's only us." Angeal pulled the smaller SOLDIER onto his lap. He wasn't fond of intimate displays, but they were in his apartment. No one could see them, and he routinely swept his room for any eavesdropping devices.

When would they ever learn? First class SOLDIERs heard the low sounds these tiny devices emitted. Second classes heard them. Hell third classes could hear them if there wasn't too much noise, and they concentrated on the sound.

When his heart regained a steady rhythm, Zack glared at the other. This was totally uncool, but who was he to complain? After all, Angeal initiated this cuddle session on his own free will. Might as well take advantage of it while it lasted. He nuzzled his mentor.

"What did you want to talk about?" Zack asked after the two had their bonding time.

Angeal rested his head against Zack's spiky crown of hair. "It's about your student."

"What about him?"

How should he phrase this? "He has a lot of potential, but his low self-esteem is holding him back. He already excels in his classes, according to what I have observed even if his grades don't reflect it."

Zack nodded his head in complete agreement. "The others don't like it. I think they're jealous of him."

"That is usually the case. Those who posses no talent or determination will seek each other's company and do whatever it takes to bring down the talented." Angeal recalled the time when Sephiroth ascended the ladder quickly. The older SOLDIERs were jealous he made it to the top before they did and often tried to sabotage his progress; however, he and Genesis always watched his back.

"Yeah, but I wish Cloud would tell me about it. I hate feeling useless. I want to help him, but I can't without knowing the situation." Zack often tried to keep watch over Cloud and sometimes watched him from the observation deck. That was how he knew Cloud had a bad teacher, but the blond didn't want any favoritism, which meant he couldn't do anything without the cadet knowing about it and being peeved by his actions.

This brought a smile to Angeal. He tightened his hold on his student. "If I remember correctly, there was a time when you didn't want my help. Said you could handle things by yourself and didn't want to be babied. Hm?"

Zack's cheeks turned a red hue. Of course, he remembered. It had been shortly after he made third class. He didn't want to impose on Angeal, now that he had passed the test. "I didn't want to be a burden." The second class knew his mentor stopped accepting long term missions so he could train Zack.

"You're never a burden, but consider how Cloud must feel. He may look delicate, however, he is determined and will train as long and hard as it takes to make it. He just needs more confidence in himself." Angeal grasped the younger SOLDIER's hand and started rubbing it in a soothing manner, lazy circles.

"I never thought of it that way." He leaned back, savoring every second. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop finding a way to help him."

"Puppy, sometimes people need to fight their own demons." Angel placed a finger on Zack's lips to stop him from interrupting. "It's the only way they can grow, but if it is too much, then a little assistance may be useful. You have to be careful in how much you help as it could also be a hindrance."

Mako blue eyes blinked several times. "Is that why you wait until the last moment to rescue me?"

"Yes. If I kept saving you, you wouldn't learn how to be independent. I didn't want to short change you and keep you from reaching your potential." Only Zack made him want to reveal more information than he normally would or rather felt comfortable telling.

"Thanks, but I think this is more than Cloud can handle. You can use your influence to stop the bullies. Cloud can take care of himself in one on one, but he doesn't stand a chance against three or more."

Bad apples tended to attract each other. "I can, but it would be more harmful than good. They'd see it as me favoring Cloud, and you know what happens."

Why was it so hard to protect the ones he cared about? "What can we do?"

"We can give him our support. He knows he can come to either of us if he's in trouble or in way over his head."

"But he's intimidated by you."

Why did Fair have to be so blunt? "I'm hoping that will change over time. For now, I'm going to see about his current instructors or at least that Sergeant Okami. That is no way to train future SOLDIERs even if he doesn't use favoritism."

"But I thought you said that would be favoring him."

Angeal shook his head. "No, it isn't. If it benefits all the cadets, then it isn't favoritism. I know Seph will want to know about this especially with the horrible performance of the latest third class SOLDIERs."

He did have a point, a valid one. "I still want to help him."

"If you want to help him, then you can start by not cuddling him too much. At least in public. They see as favoritism." Angeal tried to be as tactful as possible, keeping in mind Zack's tendency to be heroic.

Contrary to his belief, Zack reluctantly accepted the suggestion. He must really want to help this cadet. "I'll try to be less obvious, but I can't guarantee anything."

"It's the thought that counts."

Border

Green eyes looked up from the pile of paperwork on his desk, which covered almost every square inch of it save his lamp. As soon as they locked with dark ones, he placed the packet aside and gave his guest his undivided attention. No one in their right minds would walk into his office unannounced. Besides, not many could get past his secretary without a commotion, which he would hear.

"What can I do for you, Angeal?"

"Seph, there's a matter I'd like to talk to you about."


	4. Alliances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Cloud manages to make friends among his peers, SOLDIERs and Turks alike must deal with an ever growing threat. They need to work together or risk losing their precious people.

A moment of awkward silence commenced, followed by a confused stare. Angeal decided to elaborate on what he needed to talk about. "It's regarding the cadet instructor for the unarmed combat. His skills are rather lacking, and our future SOLDIERs aren't going to be useful if they're disarmed."

The General was hard to read. Angeal wished there was a guide somewhere, but that was akin to asking Zack to sit still for thirty minutes. Impossible.

Finally after another moment of silence, Sephiroth spoke, "I had a feeling about this, and it wasn't good. A fair number of cadet graduates were severely lacking in that area. A few individuals have complained about his 'favoritism' over certain students."

"Why haven't they done something about him if they knew what was going on?" Angeal demanded to know. He couldn't stand seeing all those hard working cadets' dreams being crushed. This first class believed that hard work should pay off.

Sephiroth pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. "I know you're all about hard work and rewarding those who have worked hard, but the company doesn't see it that way. It's pure politics. I'll see what I can do about this."

"Thanks Seph."

"Ranks aside, Angeal how are you doing?" If it had been anyone else, Sephiroth wouldn't bother to stand. In fact, he wouldn't give them the time of day. Only four people were allowed to address him by his nickname, and he wasn't going to tell.

Angeal protested. He didn't want to bother his friend. The man did his work yesterday and knew how to handle Genesis for the most part. "Don't trouble yourself. I'm fine."

Sephiroth tilted his head in confusion, a gesture he would never dare do in public. "You don't have to do it alone, whatever you're planning. I'm here for you."

"I could say the same." The words easily slipped out. It wasn't hard to forget that Sephiroth had been raised by scientists. He felt comfortable around the powerful man and sometimes accidentally let down his guard, but why should he keep his guard up? They were friends, and Sephiroth wasn't known to kill anyone without a very good reason. "I'm sorry."

The General shook his head and moved to stand by his friend. "No, you're right, and you don't have to apologize. It seems we could follow our own advice." Unsure what to do, he placed a hand on his second in command's shoulder and lightly squeezed it. He had seen his first classes do this when they comforted each other. Such a small act produced strange results. "You're one of the few I can trust around here."

It meant a lot coming from him. Sephiroth trusted his SOLDIERs to a certain extent, but there were very few he'd trust on a personal level. "Same for me."

"Please tell me what's wrong?" While he was head of SOLDIER, there was so much he could do, but with what little he had, he'd damn sure would help Angeal in any way possible.

"I'm concerned about my student," Angeal finally confessed.

Was Zack okay? Sephiroth hated to think the second class was in any danger or trouble. Out of all the seconds, he looked very promising. One day, he'd make a fine first class once he could focus. More to the point, he was Angeal's significant other. He wanted his friend to be happy, and Zack was his happiness.

"Is he in any danger?" With what had been happening in the past week, he didn't blame Angeal for being this distracted and unfocused.

This time Angeal shook his head. "No, he's fine and can't keep still for more than seven minutes. Yes, I even timed it, but that's not the problem. It's his student."

The blond kid? Sephiroth had been keeping his eye on the latest cadets. So far, a few looked promising from the reports he received from their instructors; however, there was one instructor who was questionable. Angeal's request proved it.

"Oh no, Shiva forbid no. He's the one in trouble. Apparently his classmates aren't fond of him. I'd hate to lose a promising cadet, but if I interfere, it will look like favoritism. It's bad enough with my student's assistance. As hard as he tries, he keeps alienating Cloud from the others."

'On first name basis, are we? You weren't like that with Zack. Being with him has helped you, Angeal.' Leaning back on his desk, Sephiroth studied him. "I see. Is this the reason behind your concern?"

In return, Angeal studied him. "Indirectly. The instructor can't teach a fish to swim. He punishes those who excel and praises those who follow his way of fighting. I figure if there is someone who wouldn't turn a blind eye to this maybe just maybe he'd start to build his self-confidence."

His friend had a point. They needed better instructors, and he knew the perfect person for the job even though he was insane and should never be allowed to hold a weapon. The next thought that went through his mind was Micah's involvement. Sure, he would have a say in this, but then again, he could see the instructor kissing the guy's ass and making sure to make the 'failures' look bad.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course!" The question caught Angeal off guard."

"The instructor will be retiring or I'm wearing a dress." Sephiroth never made bold statements that involved his personal life or wardrobe, but the thought of him in a dress (especially pink and sparkly) made Angeal smile.

"Imagine the commotion it will cause, and I don't think they have a dress your size."

Sephiroth chuckled, the closest to laughing he would ever get. "Without a doubt. I'm not sure if they have enough cloth of the same material and color." In times like these, he could pretend he was normal like Angeal and Genesis or anyone else, but it lasted only so long. The truth was painful. He wasn't normal.

A dark brow rose. "I wouldn't say you're fat. In fact, I think you could stand to put on a few pounds. You look too thin."

"Muscle mass, apparently it makes me look thin."

Before Angeal could reply, a static sound came from the intercom, stupid old things. "Sir, I have an urgent message for you from the president. He wants you in the meeting room in one hour."

"Acknowledged," The General said and then cut off the connection. He glared at the tiny device as if it was responsible for his participation in what was yet another boring and useless meeting.

Knowing his friend well enough, Angeal decided to take a page out of his lover's book and make a hasty withdrawal. While Sephiroth was preoccupied with glaring the thing into submission, the dark haired SOLDIER quietly walked backwards until he made contact with the door. No sooner than he opened it, his friend decided to look over to him with glowing green eyes. Not good.

"And where do you think you're going?"

Angeal's mind scrambled for any excuse, a legitimate excuse. The General wasn't easily fooled, not that many have actually tried outright lying to him. "I'm going to check up on my student. Who knows what kind of mischief he could get into if left unsupervised?"

"He's out on patrol," Sephiroth said in an eerily calm tone. Knowing Angeal, he'd probably try to use Zack as an excuse, which he did. "You're accompanying me to the meeting. It's an order." If he had to suffer, then Angeal was going to suffer too.

Angeal refused to groan or show any signs of weakness. He didn't want to give Sephiroth the satisfaction. "Very well."

Sephiroth smirked.

Border

Cloud muttered several choice words. He glared at his classmates. This was SOLDIER not some high school. Seriously how did they expect to pass when they behaved like children? He hoped they wouldn't pass and either leave or be accepted into the troopers.

Many of them huddled in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but with the way they were pointing to him and laughing, he knew it was not good. Then again, nothing about his life was good except for Angeal and now Zack. They both were handsome in their own right. Zack exuded a playful and friendly nature. Angeal was more on strength and honor. It made sense for the first class to choose his friend as an apprentice even if their personalities were polar opposites.

"So how is he?"

No one bothered talking to him so why now? "What?"

The burly student blocked Cloud's path of retreat. His three flunkies flanked him. Just great, it was the guy who almost raped him. Didn't they learn the first time? "Are you stupid too? I said how is he?"

Oh the irony of it. The guy was more on brawn than brains, which was why he should be failing the class. He was the current favorite of their unarmed instructor, Sergeant Okami. "Who? You'll need to be more specific."

"Trying to be a wise guy, eh?" Evan sneered. "I bet you like it rough."

"…" What the hell was he blabbing about this time?

"Can't come up with anything in your defense, how pathetic," the crowed and looked over to his crew. They laughed as expected. "So how does it feel bottoming to a SOLDIER? I bet it feels good."

"Say what?"

"Are you deaf? How does it feel taking it from Fair? I bet he must be sorely disappointed." They laughed obnoxiously.

"Can't you come up with something better?"

The four flunkies turned around to see a bored cadet. He looked harmless, but they knew from experience, he was not to be taken lately. "What do you want?"

"For you to get a face lift, but nothing can improve your look. That would take a miracle or two," he drawled.

Evan turned red. He looked ready to attack, but something held him back or rather someone. "Oh yeah, well you're as dumb as him. Ranked next to last!"

"Recycling is good for the planet, but recycling bad insults… well that's just plain, I'm not going to say."

"You're dead meat, Tailor. Mark my words." Evan raised his fist and shook it at the other cadet. "Which ever one you are."

"Clever, really clever," Tailor said, his voice dripping with apparent sarcasm. He gave them the finger.

"Why you!"

A second flunky had to help the first hold back Evan. "Remember what happened the last time we messed with him."

With one final glare, Evan shrugged off his flunkies and stormed out of the class room. His flunkies ran to catch up with him.

"Good riddance. The trash has taken itself out. How convenient," Tailor snorted. He hated those kinds of people.

Cloud blinked several times. He didn't recognize the other, but he was grateful for the assistance. "Thanks."

The cadet waved it off. "It's nothing. He annoys me, and I like messing with him. Evan has an IQ of a rock. It's just too easy."

"Oh okay. My name is Cloud Strife." He held out his hand, hoping he was doing the right thing.

Hazel eyes looked at the hand before shaking it. "Dirk Tailor."

"Your name sounds familiar."

Dirk nonchalantly shrugged. "Maybe you've heard of my older brother or cousin. They're both first classes."

Cloud's jaw dropped. "You mean you're related to Commander Micah Tailor?" He had seen the first classes' signature on a lot of official academic documents.

"The one and only. He's cousin to Wesley, which is why they work closely with each other. The other firsts find him… Well, let's just say he has more control over Wes than the others do."

Wow, it must be cool to be related to two first classes. Cloud wondered if they received any special training or something, but it was impolite to ask. "I was wondering."

By the way he fidgeted, Dirk guessed it was either about his brother and cousin or him helping out. However, the blond seemed to be the shy type, so he'd go with the latter. "You want to know why I helped after all this time." He glanced to the cadets who were leaving.

Cloud nodded his head. Was he a mind reader or something?

"You're just too easy to read."

Damn. He'd make a terrible Turk if he ever applied for it.

"I transferred over a week ago." The other cadet tapped his chin, more out of habit. "My instructor had a hard time with my other brothers so they transferred us into different sections."

Oh. "That made sense somehow."

They were the last cadets in there as the others were eager for lunch. The instructor had been talking to a few cadets before writing his daily report. He made sure to give glowing praises to those he favored and poor reviews to those who earned his ire.

Zack said he should make more friends, but… he was so nervous. 'He isn't going to bite your head off for asking or laugh. I hope. What is there to lose?' However before he could muster up any courage, the other beat him to it.

"You wanna have lunch with us?"

Border

After picking out their food, the two meandered to a table that was in the middle of the room yet far enough away from the action. There were four people already there. At first Cloud didn't think anything of it until he actually got a good look at them and Dirk.

"Hey, Cloud you okay?" Dirk inquired, still standing. He had placed his tray down but had yet to sit down. That pale look wasn't good. His four brothers had various responses varying from bored to concerned.

"I think I was hit on my head hard," Cloud answered as he blinked several times. He didn't drink or at least not to his knowledge. Also, he wasn't the type to go on highs.

"Why do you say that?" one of the clones inquired. He appeared to be worried even though they were strangers.

Cloud turned his attention to that person. "I think I'm seeing things." He really wanted to see only one person.

The two older cadets laughed and the two youngest were awfully quiet.

"Um, Cloud, did I ever tell you was part of a set of quintuplets?" Dirk inquired.

The blond shook his head. "I don't believe so. You told me you had brothers, but I thought they weren't born the same day as you." He was glad he wasn't hallucinating. It would make sense considering how many times he had been knocked around in class and by his usual company.

"You already know me so there is no point. Dale is the oldest." The one across from Dirk waved. "Next is Dean." Next to Dale, the second oldest waved. "Donn's the one brooding over there. I suspect he's plotting to take over the cafeteria." Donn glared at Dirk, who as usual ignored it. "Lastly is Duke. Cloud isn't going to bite." The youngest shyly smile and waved.

With a sheepish look, the blond confessed. "Forgive me if I get you mixed up. I've never had any interactions with identical people." Not to mention, their names were close to each other. No wonder why the instructor had them transferred to different classes.

Dale (or was it Dean?) chirped, "No worries. We get that all the time. Our mom loves dressing us in the safe outfits, but she color coordinates us. Mine is red."

"Didn't you become tired of that color?" Cloud asked as he took a seat next to Dirk. He felt comfortable next to him. Maybe it was due to their similar personalities.

"Nope!" Dale replied with a mouthful of whatever it deemed to be called food. He received a look from Dean. "Yeah, yeah, mother."

Dirk snorted in return and started eating his. It was obvious who paid attention during etiquette lessons. The other three had decent table manners.

"So what are your colors?" Cloud asked the others, his curiosity piqued.

"Blue," Dirk answered when he wasn't chewing. He grabbed his napkin and wiped off whatever was on his face even if it was barely anything.

"Yellow," Dean replied. "I didn't like the color at first, but it grew on me. Now it's my favorite. Too bad we have to wear the same uniform, and they don't allow accessories."

"Boo hoo, cry a river why don't you?" the loner jabbed. He went back to brooding. That appeared to be harsh, but the four brothers acted as if nothing happened. Was this the way he treated everyone?

"That's the way he treats everyone," Dirk said being the first to read Cloud's confusion. "It's his personality, and we've grown accustomed to it. If he started acting any other way, the world is going to end."

Donn rolled his eyes. Out of all his brothers, he was the closest and most similar to him. They both had sharp tongues and twisted sense of humor. Dirk was more of a gentleman than him when he wanted to be.

"He doesn't like talking about himself, but his color is green," Dale said this time without a mouth full. He jabbed his oddly shaped thing on his plate but ate it anyways.

The unknown brother spoke up, "Violet. Mom wanted mine to be pink. She always wanted a girl, but after having us, she couldn't handle another child. Thankfully, Dad talked her out of it."

"But you looked good in all those dresses," Dale said in a teasing manner, which caused Duke to blush madly. Yes, he was more feminine than his brothers, but Dale didn't need to broadcast it to the world, thank you very much.

"At least, they aren't part of the uniform here," Dean said trying to find something positive. He was the constant optimist of the group. Even in a bad situation, he found a silver lining even if he had to search hard.

Cloud silently agreed. He was a young man, not a girl in spite of his feminine appearance. Several people commented on his likeness of his mom.

"How would anyone take SOLDIER seriously if we fought in dresses? They'd probably die from laughing so hard," Dale commented, earning a few smiles. "Besides, how are we supposed to fight in them?"

"Wear short skirts," Dirk said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And flash everyone when we do aerial attacks?" Dale chortled. He didn't mind it, but he knew his brothers weren't as open as he was with their bodies. When they had to shower, he had taken to protecting them being the big brother he was even if it was minutes older.

"Only you would think of that," Donn spoke up. Why he was related to these idiots? At least, Dirk was intelligent for the most part. Common sense, on the other hand, was negotiable.

As they teased each other, Cloud felt himself relaxing and occasionally adding his two gil.

This, he didn't want this good feeling to go away. It felt like a feeling of belonging, somewhere he fit.

Now if he could only remember who was who.

Border

Any meeting with the president usually turned out to be a waste of time and boring. Sephiroth anticipated this one was no different had prepared for his normal meditation; however, there were less board members and more SOLDIERs. The vice-president even made an appearance, but he didn't look like he was going to be participating in this actively. He stood in the background observing this. It was probably for his education later on when he took over the company.

While the Turks normally attended these meetings, it was usually one or two to protect the president. Shinra senior didn't feel safe without having at least one Turk with him. He also didn't trust SOLDIER with their brute strength and incredible speed even if he did employ them. They could easily cause a mutiny. In any event, the entire Turk squad was in attendance, looking crisp in their uniforms even Reno the ever slacker. Tseng probably had a say in it and forced him to look decent. The red head's jacket was actually nicely pressed and shirt buttoned up with his tie correctly on. Overall, Reno looked like a serious Turk than someone who barely made it. He hated it.

Being a liaison between SOLDIER and the higher ups, Lazard was present. He attended every meeting that involved SOLDIER and made it a point to know what was happening on both sides. It wasn't unusual for him to be at this meeting or even board meetings. The man kept the peace between the Turks and SOLDIERs. Thankfully, both groups respected him to some extent.

However, there were other SOLDIERs here. While they would sometimes attend the meetings when it concerned the area they were in charge of, it was usually one or two of them. As the leader of SOLDIER, his presence was required. He hated that part, but it was part of his responsibility.

Angeal, on the other hand, was not required to attend every single meeting and was glad of it. He dealt with these meetings if Sephiroth was ever injured or out on a mission as well as anything involving the second classes. This included his own lover, however much he wanted to pull Zack from every mission. Then again, when was Sephiroth ever injured or sick? Well, he was injured at times, but not to the degree of not being able to come to a meeting. One time he tried to use his injury as an excuse, but Hojo insisted that Sephiroth could not be incapacitated to the degree of being absent from an important meeting. Damn him. Even though he could get away with the injury excuse, Angeal never made an excuse as to why he couldn't attend when he was ordered to even if he really didn't want to go.

Both Micah and Wesley were there. Micah oversaw the training of not only the cadets, but the second and third classes. Once a SOLDIER reached first class, he was determined to be competent enough not to need a teacher though informally it still continued. Wesley was in charge of the third classes. He seemed to be the irresponsible type, wanting to go out drinking or party all the time, but he was really dedicated to the third class. They looked up to him as he unofficially became their big brother. Sephiroth wasn't sure if it was a good thing as he felt they should learn, not be coddled; however, the guy seemed to be keeping their relationships on a professional level.

Then there was Genesis. While he was one of the legendary three SOLDIERs, he was not in charge of anything. They probably needed his assistance or something. Sephiroth was glad that he was here to some degree, but he couldn't help wondering why he was there. The guy tended to be a loner than anything, preferring to work alone or with either Angeal or Sephiroth. Still, he made exceptions even if it was limiting and he was in a good mood at the time. In other words, he was quite hard to work with.

Lastly, there was Tala, the every psychotic SOLDIER first class. He made Genesis look sane and a saint. Sephiroth knew better though, but he wasn't going to tell. There was another mystery. Why was he there as well? Even though he could go head to head with him in unarmed combat, he was not in charge of any group. Tala didn't mind though. He preferred not to be in charge when he could help it, however, being a first meant he was in charge whenever they had their missions. It was one thing he hated about having some seniority over the younger first classes or rather the newer ones. There were older first classes who feared or admired him or both.

Once Sephiroth made his mental review of all the attendants, he waited for the president to get off his phone. Obviously, this wasn't important enough to warrant his attention. That or he had an important call which was relevant to this conversation. As much as he wanted to smack some sense into the fat tub of lard, he was groomed to follow the president's orders. Maybe some meditation would calm his nerves down.

Just then the president ended his call and turned his attention to the SOLDIERs and Turks gathered. He was not happy, not happy at all. Then again, he wasn't happy unless he was rolling in the money.

"I have called his impromptu meeting for one important reason, and by important, I mean you better be listening." He glanced over to Reno and then Wesley. Those two were notorious for zoning out or doodling during these meetings. While Wesley did have a pen and paper, he was taking notes instead of drawing, but he wasn't about to share that. No need to sully his already sullied reputation. That was his logic.

"Yo, I'm listening. When have I ever not been?" Reno said before Tseng nudged him on the side hard enough to cause him to double over. "Aw, Boss, why did ya have to do that?" While he looked like a professional Turk, he certainly wasn't acting one right now.

"Please excuse Reno, he has not been properly trained."

The president gave a slight nod. He trusted Tseng to do his job and keep the rookies in line for the most part. As to why he sponsored this street kid, he had no idea, but there must be something in that punk to make him Turk material. Hell, he survived his training and then his mentorship.

"There have been disturbing reports concerning both SOLDIERs and Turks," the president said slowly as if he was talking to children or someone who didn't comprehend the language.

"Why haven't we been informed of this?" Angeal inquired. He was just as protective of his second classes as Sephiroth with his firsts.

"Because it was only on a need to know basis until now," Sephiroth answered instead of the president. So this was an important meeting. Go figure. It made sense why Shinra would take his precious time to deal with it since it affected how the people view the company. If no one feared SOLDIER or Turks, it would be hard to keep his grasp over the ignorant citizens.

The second in command of SOLDIER whirled around to face Sephiroth. He knew about this? Why didn't The General inform him? They were good friends. However, he knew that certain files were off limits to him but no Sephiroth. Once logic kicked in, he calmed down. "I see." Still he wondered who else was involved in this.

"We couldn't risk the information leaking out, but the situation has changed for the worst," Tseng said gravely as he looked at each and every one in the room.

"Is that why we haven't been informed until now?" Micah added, showing that he was out of the loop which made Angeal glad that he wasn't the only one.

An eerie silence enveloped the room. The ones who did know found the table or his hands to be very interesting until someone finally had the courage to speak up.

"Because they have moved from targeting troopers and cadets to third class SOLDIERs."


	5. Unofficial Missions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What's up with all these unofficial missions? There are more things to worry about... never mind. These missions somehow involve that.

Why hadn't anyone told him about this? If they started going after SOLDIER third classes, then what was to stop them from going after second classes? If they somehow managed to overpower or outsmart a third class, then a second class shouldn't be much harder.

Angeal shifted nervously as the thought being taken down ran through his mind. He could see his lover there, lying broken and bleeding, on the last legs of his life. His eyes were wide open and instead of his usual smile, it was a mixture of pain and confusion. A pool of blood surrounded him, some of it soaked in his now crimson uniforms. His standard SOLDIER sword was scattered everywhere.

In the last moments of his life, he could hear Zack gasp his name. It was heart wrenching, and he never wanted to find out, ever. He'd die before the saw those bright blue eyes become dull and lifeless.

Taking deep breaths, he focused on reality rather than his currently overactive imagination. It hadn't happened yet. Maybe he should pull Zack from his routine patrols. He had the ability and power to do it, but there was a slight problem. It would be seen as favoritism, and Zack wanted none of it. Sure he didn't mind the perks of knowing a first class like first class apartments or edible food, but he wanted to earn his position and the things that came along with it. He said if he could hack it, then he didn't deserve it.

"Why weren't we informed of this?" Angeal asked, butting the uneasy silence. His dark eyes swept across the room as he eyed everyone especially the Turks. They were known for their ability to dig up information that eluded most people or simply couldn't be found and not telling anyone outside their small group or boss.

As if having his suit on properly wasn't enough, Reno had to cope with an overprotective Angeal. It was widely known throughout the Turks and SOLDIERs alike. Never mess with Fair unless they wanted to see the Buster sword up close and person. The young Turk nervously scooted behind Tseng's larger form, hoping to go unnoticed. The last thing he wanted was to be put in the hospital. Thankfully, Angeal never killed without a good reason, but somehow, he had the feeling it would be a lot worse.

Tseng shook his head. The rookie wasn't fairing well. After all, they were first classes, and three of them were the strongest of the strong, the legendary three. Then there was the craziest first class whose fist could be registered as lethal weapons. He couldn't blame Reno for being scared as he was the newest member. After all, Turks rarely dealt with first classes and only one or two at once.

However, someone beat him to the punch.

"It's on a need to know basis," Sephiroth answered without showing any signs of anxiety or fidgeting. He looked at his closest friend he had there. "Our information shows that these people may have inside knowledge, and we couldn't risk many people knowing."

A dark brow was raised. The owner then looked at the entire group of Turks. If secrecy was important, then why have all of them?

"We can't be everywhere at once. It takes time and man power to cover every attack," Tseng answered taking a small step forward.

"So you do have information other than they've been assaulted?" Tala asked with some interest. If they were progressing up the food chain, then it wouldn't be long before they received interesting missions.

Tseng shook his head. "From what we've observed, there is no real pattern as to who they attack, where, or when. It appears at random except for the method."

"Interesting," Genesis said nonchalantly as if he was discussing something like the weather. He appeared to be too relaxed about this. The auburn SOLDIER leaned forward. "What pattern is there to these attacks?" Someone was bound to ask it.

Angeal gave Genesis a look. This was serious, but he seemed to be treating this more like a game. "Be serious," he scolded and was promptly ignored. Maybe being on the top had changed his childhood friend. Inflated his ego by too much in Angeal's opinion. "How are these SOLDIERs being assaulted?"

What surprised him wasn't the response but the one doing the answering. "Whoever attacked the third classes knew what they were doing. There wasn't much resistance so they were either caught off guard or our enemy knows more than we want them to know about SOLDIER fighting techniques. We saw signs of a struggle, but with SOLDIER strength, there should be more damage to the area."

Wesley knew about this? Since when? Why would Wesley know about this when he, Angeal, second to Sephiroth, not know about it?

"Hmmm," Sephiroth murmured. He flexed his fingers and rested his elbows on the table. "This is a change from their usual, but troopers don't have the strength or experience fighting without their guns. They were easier targets."

Angeal felt his stomach and a sense of dread completely wash over him. He grabbed the arms of his chairs so it wouldn't be painfully obvious. He was trembling. How could he forget about cloud? As a cadet, he would make an ideal target. Compared to troopers, cadets were easier to take down. Not only did they lack the training, they lacked the experience.

Thankfully, Cloud didn't go out on missions. Cadets rarely went on missions except for an occasional field training, which shouldn't be for awhile if he remembered their schedule correctly. Still he didn't know the entire details about the attacks on the third classes. "when and where did these attacks take place?"

Both Tseng and Wesley looked over to the president. As far as the details went, out of the people involved only a select few knew. They received a nod. It must be something big for them to suddenly reveal this information.

"There were three this week," Wesley started off. "All of these have taken place within Midgar. One was in sector seven, another in the heart of Wall Market, and lastly a block of headquarters."

The second in command swore his heart stopped for a few seconds upon hearing the last position. It seemed these people were growing bolder with each successful attack. If they were willing to take on third classes near there, then a cadet on base shouldn't be too hard. He made a mental note to tell Zack to step up Cloud's training. Hell, he might even have a part in it himself.

"As to the times, we've narrowed it down to a small window. One took place during the night shift between the hours of midnight to three in the morning. The second happened sometime from six in the morning to eight. The last one happened about two in the afternoon."

Why was he so worried about a cadet? It took him a long time to let the puppy in. Maybe he had changed. He didn't know whether to be happy or scared. It was a strange and exhilarating feeling. At the same time, it confused the hell out of him but enough of it. He needed to concentrate on the matter at hand.

"These people have balls," Tala said, rubbing his chin. "We should probably increase patrols around here and send higher classes too." He really wanted to get out there and do some damage with his fists.

Contrary to what the others thought, Sephiroth shook his head. "It would raise questions, but it makes sense with the threat coming closer. The last thing we need is a panicked crowd."

"What do you recommend we do in the mean time?" Micah inquired. His first thought was over the cadets. They were vulnerable especially if the people were within their ranks. It didn't hurt to be cautious.

"We will go about our usual business, but all first classes will be on high alert. I will take care of that," Sephiroth answered. "Each third class team will be lead by a second or first class. As to the reason, we will be evaluating their performance."

Micah nodded his head. "I had a feeling something was up with some of the instructors, but I didn't have any solid proof. So far, I narrowed it down to three."

"So ya got anything planned?" Wesley asked, leaning back in his chair. He almost placed his feel on the table but was smacked down by his cousin.

The older Tailor looked over to Sephiroth, who nodded in response. They were going to talk later over this matter. For now, they needed to address the urgent matter at hand.

"That's fine for the third classes, but what about the cadets and troopers?" Angeal inquired without thinking. He was worried about the cadets, but more specifically a certain cadet who on some level resembled a chocobo.

"They're not important enough," the president said, easily dismissing them as cannon fodder. They were enough applicants to help keep SOLDIER numbers nigh. "They're expendable."

With the exception of one, all of the present SOLDIERs' eyes turned slightly green. They all felt the same thing, an immense hatred for their employer. It wasn't cool to think of them as expendable especially since they had relatives or friends within those ranks.

The vice-president shook his head. His father was an idiot to say that SOLDIERs were known for taking care of their own. In a way, they were like the Turks except with a larger number and more muscle. If he were in that position, he'd mention something about the security system to put them at ease or as much as they would be for the time being.

On his notebook, Rufus wrote down his father's mistakes. They said it was good to learn from your mistakes, but he preferred learning from others. His father was a fine example of what not to do.

"Is there anything else?" the president asked in a bored manner. He simply wanted to tell them, not get involved. He'd leave the details to Tseng as long as the results were satisfactory.

"I believe that's it," Tseng said. He moved to get the president's chair but was motioned away.

"Then this meeting has come to an end," the president announced as he took his leave. He had better things to do than stay here with these SOLDIERs. They could snap him in two without breaking a sweat. He might be dense at times, but he was not a complete idiot.

Once the president, his son, and the Turks departed, the SOLDIERs held their own meeting, but after some room decoration. The room was much better without the eavesdropping devices. They irritated the first classes throughout the entire meeting and started giving Sephiroth a migraine.

"I never liked him," Genesis said. He hated wasting his time on these small fry missions. Then again, he hated, no extremely hated the way the president favored Sephiroth and showed him off like some… prized trophy. He earned some of that glory. Then why wasn't he getting any?

"Unfortunately he's the reason how we obtain these strengths," Micah said as he flexed his hand.

Sephiroth nodded his head. Without Shinra, Hojo wouldn't have access to such technology or cells. In a way, he owed the president, but he had repaid that debt a long time ago when he won the war for them.

"It's great to have muscles, but it was hell getting them. I don't think he understands what we have to go through," Wesley added. He never liked the elder Shinra, but the son was a different story.

Dark eyes scanned the group. "I don't like talking behind people's backs, but… this is an exception. He doesn't care for his employees."

"It makes me wonder if we're even sane," Micah sighed. "So what's the plan?"

"All the first classes will be alerted to a danger, but nothing specific. We don't want to tip them off. It could be anyone from second class or higher." Green eyes looked at each and every person. "I'll add a second or first class to every third class patrol, and decrease the amount of patrols steadily as to not raise any suspicion or alarms. In addition, I'm adding additional lessons for the third classes."

"What about the cadets?" Micah asked. Not only was he responsible for the lot of them, but he had his younger brothers to look after. He promised their mother nothing bad would happen to them, and he hated to think he'd break that promise.

"And the troopers?" Angeal added. He would have said cadets, but Micah beat him to it.

"For the troopers, their assignments will be swapped. They won't be taking hard ones, and I will see that there are extra SOLDIERs nearby. As for the cadets, we'll all be pulling extra shifts until we find a better solution."

Being the nuisance he was, Genesis opened his mouth. "Wasn't it mentioned that they might have inside information? We should concentrate our efforts on that. Who knows one of them might be in this very room."

"I had thought about it, but we can't take any more risks. There were three attacks on third class SOLDIERs within a week. My priority is taking care of my men."

"Is that why you waited until now?"

The General shook his head. "It happened infrequently that it didn't warrant enough attention, but now that third classes are involved, the president wants something done before this leaks to the media."

"It gives me another reason to not like him," Tala growled and slammed his fist on the table. He let out an odd noise before leaning back in his chair.

"I know we don't like being used, but…" Angeal said, running his hand through his hair. There wasn't much they could do short of assassinating Shinra.

Grabbing his book, Genesis began reading the last act. He had a hard time deciphering the message, but he was getting closer and closer.

"We don't have a choice in the matter. At least for now, we don't," Micah said, finishing off the sentence. He whirled his pen, a habit he picked up while he read the countless reports that had taken up residency on his desk.

"It's that way both in and out of SOLDIER," Tala said bitterly. They had better keep hold on their tongues. Everyone except for Sephiroth was expendable. "Doesn't matter if they're rich or poor. It's always the same."

"Aren't we the optimist," Gensis said sarcastically, listening in to the conversation. He flipped a page.

"For now, we keep this information within SOLDIER," Sephiroth said. "I'll keep you informed."

Once Tala, Gensesis, and Micah were out of hearing range, Wesley approached Sephiroth. He knew Angeal would probably want to hear this, knowing that he cared for a certain second class. "I'll get in touch with my contacts, but it will take some time, a week at the most."

"We don't have a week," Angeal almost growled. They couldn't afford to wait any longer. The more time they did nothing, the more opportunities they had to target Zack or worse Cloud.

"It's the best I can do. Don't want to alert our enemies," Wesley answered as he shifted his weight. "And no, the Turks don't know. They aren't the only ones who keeps secrets." He winked.

"Understood. You have your mission. I'll cover for you," Sephiroth said. He already knew how was going to temporarily overlook the third classes.

Wesley saluted him before taking his leave.

"This is very disturbing," Angeal voiced his thoughts as he stood up. He started pacing back and forth in the plush room. "Sephiroth, what are you thinking?"

"Nothing important."

"That was awkward," Angeal said as he made his way through the corridors in search of his puppy. He needed to find Zack as soon as possible without running. It would cause people to look in his direction as he never ran unless there was a life threatening emergency such as an attack or real bomb threat.

His dark eyes scanned the faces for that warm smile. He wanted to see that. What could happen within that time of that meeting? For all he knew, Zack could be injured and waiting for urgent medical care. They were growing bolder with each attempt. Maybe they'd move onto second classes by now. Then they really needed to step it up, but for now, they had best take care of the problem before it grew out of hand.

Angeal first went to Zack's usual hang outs: his apartment, the VR training room, the gymn, the material labs, the cadet dorms, and the small piece of artificial grass that so many new cadets frequent. He couldn't find the puppy at any of these locations, and the people he found hadn't seen Zack all day.

The second class shouldn't be off the compound as he wasn't scheduled for a patrol, and he most certainly wasn't on a mission. Angeal would know otherwise. Plus, he knew Zack wasn't stupid enough to go looking for a fight.

However, he did find Cloud in the company of the quints. At first, he thought he had been seeing things. There were five cadets who looked like they were copied or cloned. As it turned out, they were Micah's younger brothers. He never realized they were quintuplets. Then again, he had his hands full managing the second classes and Zack.

Cloud didn't know where Zack went. He had been with his new friends all days and of course training. They attended their usual classes, went to the library, ate at the cafeteria, and hung out at the cadet dorms. Cloud suggested a few places that Angeal had no knowledge that Zack even went there.

After thoroughly searching those areas, Angeal called Sephiroth, who was amused by the degree of over-protectiveness he displayed. "This is serious, Seph. He could be dying for all we know!"

"If he fights like the way I've seen him, he should be fine," Sephiroth commented. After hearing so much about this bouncing ball of energy, the General took it upon himself to watch a few classes. He had been impressed with the way Zack accumulated all that information, and it took a lot for him to be impressed especially with a cadet. Currently, he visited Zack's training when he had some free time to gauge his progress. If he kept this up, he should be a first class in no time.

Angeal ran his hand through his hair. "His lack of concentration is what worries me, and he could be alone against a dozen of them."

"Don't you think you're exaggerating a little?" The General asked being the source of reason. He could hear the glare being sent through the phone. "If he's in trouble, do you trust him to call for help?"

"… Yeah, I guess so," Angeal said reluctantly as he leaned against a nearby wall. While he was normally in control of his emotions, he let them get the better of him. The thought of losing his precious puppy was unbearable. Was he hearing things or did Sephiroth make an undignified sound? Maybe he should rest… after finding the puppy.

"If I see him, I'll escort him home," Sephiroth said and then added. "Don't worry. I have a leash and muzzle."

"Ha, ha," Angeal said dryly. Maybe he had taken the puppy nickname a bit too far. "But thank you."

"Angeal?"

"Yes?"

"Get some rest." It was his commanding tone.

Before he could respond, Angeal heard the disconnected sound and sighed. If Sephiroth was going out of his way, then it must be painfully obvious.

"What are you doing to me, Zack?"

Out in sector seven, Zack paid a certain flower girl a visit earlier that evening and helped her sell a few flowers. Yet, he seemed to be on edge as if he was expecting something to happen.

"Zack," Aerith said, halting her route through Wall Market. She looked up him with those big green eyes. "Are you okay?"

The SOLDIER smiled. "I'm okay. There's nothing wrong with me. Still, he felt like he was lying through his teeth to this sweet girl. She probably figured it out anyways since she was too observant for her own good.

Whirling around, she gave him a concerned look. Did something happen between you and Angeal? I mean he's treating you right."

Damn, she saw through him as usual. "Nah, he's been good to me. It's not that big of a deal." He looked everywhere except her, a habit he picked up whenever he didn't like or wasn't telling the complete truth.

A small hand settled on his wrist. "No, it is a big deal. That fake smile can't fool me. I've known you long enough to tell the difference between a genuine smile and a fake one."

Zack tensed for a moment and dropped his fake smile. He couldn't lie his way out of a wet paper bag with her. "I'm not sure where to begin."

"How about from the beginning?" Aerith answered even though they were in a public place, which made Zack nervous.

The SOLDIER didn't do the touchy feeling kind of stuff that a lot of women did. He was a man, and real men didn't express their softer emotions. Sure, he showed some like rage, excitement, and eagerness, but those weren't considered weak to men in general. He hated appearing weak especially in front of a woman he promised he'd protect. On the other hand, maybe he would be able to sort through this mess. Ever since… he didn't know when, but his relationship with his student had become confusing. It was as if someone had turned his world upside down without telling him.

Why must it be so hard?

Aerith giggled. It was funny to see the different faces he was making. "Why don't we continue this discussion at the church? I'm sure I have some leftover cookies."

"Home made?"

I baked them myself this morning," she beamed and then gently led Zack to the church. While she wasn't done, her friends came before profit, and Zack helped her a lot already. She owed him.

No one made cookies as good as Aerith.

"Sure."

Border

Aerith patiently waited and listened to the many starts until Zack managed to tell her situation. He would start and then begin pacing around the church as if he was trying to create an irrigation system for her flowers. Finally, he had been able to say something. She understood even though it made no sense to him. The tiny pieces of information weren't random as he thought it would be. She managed to piece everything together.

"So what's my diagnosis?"

The young lady smiled sweetly at him, which scared the hell out of him. She could be a little evil when she wanted to be. "You're in love."

Zack made a sputtering sound. "Impossible. I'm completely and totally in love with Angeal. He's my one and only."

"Who says you can't love them both?"

Zack could reply. His mind was still reeling at her suggestion of a threesome. Wasn't she supposed to be the sweet and innocent one? How could this happen? He mentally swore to tear the guy or gal who corrupted her a new one.

"Zachary, don't be surprised. I want you to be happy." She continued smiling. "Please don't do anything rashly. Take some time and think it over."

The SOLDIER hmphed. "As if there's anything to think about. Cloud's my friend."

"If you say so."

Argh, why did she have to use her disarming smile? She was up to something. He knew it.

"Why don't you stay for dinner? Mother is going to be home soon. I hope you don't mind leftover. We didn't have a chance to cook today."

Zack shook his head. He imposed on her enough already. Besides, it was best he head back to base. "Can I take a rain check on that? It's getting late, and I didn't tell him where I was heading."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, he'd probably be worried out of his mind and send a search party after me… Ah, I know what you're thinking. He's not like that. He's just overprotective especially-"

"You tend to be easily distracted," Aerith interrupted, trying so hard not to giggle. "Puppy."

"Argh, does everyone know that stupid nickname?" Zack felt like tearing out his hair. It was bad enough with the other SOLDIERs, but must it be off base too and from Aerith?

"I think it's cute," Aerith said. "It certainly fits."

"SOLDIERs aren't meant to be cute," Zack pouted. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned away. "We're dangerous, deadly, and more importantly cool."

Green eyes sparkled with mischief. "Well, I think you are cute, which is why I put up with you."

Zack's jaw dropped. He stood there completely flabbergasted. Did she tolerate him based on his looks? She wasn't the superficial type, or maybe she was hiding something from him. His hands hung limply at his sides.

Aerith giggled. "Don't be so serious. It doesn't suit you."

The SOLDIER whirled around. "You mean you were joking?" Was she messing with him?

"Maybe. Now don't you have to report to your master?"

"Why can't I ever win against you?" Zack wailed. She was always one step ahead of him. It wasn't fair. The young brunette was supposed to be sweet and innocent. What happened to that?

The ancient shrugged. "Perhaps, you should try using this for a change?" She patted him on the side of his head. "It's there to do more than look cute.

Zack mock scowled.

What was this? Pick on Zack day?

Border

A visit to Aerith's cheered him up. She was like the warm sun on a winter day. Zack hummed a nameless tune as he sauntered back to the first class dorms. Of course, he stopped by their favorite restaurant on the way back. He didn't have time to cook not that he was allowed in the kitchen except to get drinks, wash dishes, eat, drink, and basically everything except cook.

Sandwiches and salads were becoming boring.

The second class scowled when his mind refused to top thinking about Cloud. Today and the past day or rather days, he had been spending less time with the blond. Every time he asked, he was met with a vague answer.

Did Cloud even have a girlfriend?

The thought made his heart stop beating for a second. He felt this incredibly sinking feeling. It was worse than losing his friend shortly after making SOLDIER. This, he couldn't put into words.

Maybe Aerith was right after all. Maybe he was in love with both of them.

Nah, Zack loved Angeal. Angeal loved Zack. Simple.

The second class slid the card into the card reader and punched in his personal code. Thankfully, there weren't many people wandering around. Maybe they were out having dinner or holed up in their offices. Zack made a mental note to drag Sephiroth out of his office when they hit the down.

Of course, he'd have to call in reinforcements. No one could resist the combined cuteness of Zack and Cloud.

Before Zack could even slide his key in, the door suddenly opened, and he found himself against a very muscular chest. Not that he didn't like hugging, but Angeal wasn't one for public displays of affections, and they were standing in the corridor, where everyone could see them. "Angeal, what's up?"

"What's up? What's up? I was worried sick!" The older SOLDIER refused to let go. He had been worried to death over him and banished any thoughts of Zack's death.

Zack tilted his head and looked at his lover like had grown a second head. His curiosity was in obvious even to the blind.

Angeal hesitated for a moment before pulling in the second class. "Please don't go anywhere without telling Sephiroth, Cloud, or Kunsel at the very least."

"Why? Am I in trouble?" Zack asked. He knew he should be punished for the mischief he caused, but Angeal seemed hesitant on punishing him.

The first class led him inside, refusing to break contact. "No, you haven't done anything wrong."

If possible, Zack looked even cuter when he was totally confused. "Then what's this about?" Not that he minded, but he wished he knew what was going on.

"Confidential, I'm afraid." Angeal wished he could tell Zack, but Sephiroth made them stay silent. His ran his hand through his puppy's hair.

"What can you tell me then?"

Dark eyes looked directly into blue yes. "It's not safe anywhere. Be on your guard. I mean it, Zack. Focus. Don't become too comfortable anywhere."

The puppy pouted cutely. "What about home?" Surely, they could relax there. Home should be a sanctuary, not a fortress. He snuggled up against Angeal, resting his cheek on his shoulder.

It was probably asking too much of Zack. "I'll put up more security around home, but don't get too comfortable, understand? I don't know what I'd do without you."

Angeal could be so cheesy at times. Zack didn't mind it though. He got to see another side of him. "I don't know. Maybe be an old stiff?"

The first class gave him that look. He was serious about this. Life was too precious to be taken so lightly. "Promise me you won't do anything to jeopardize your or your student's life. I mean it."

Zack merely nodded his head, knowing that he'd probably mouth off and get Angeal irritated as usual. He curled up against his mentor when he remembered the food near the door. "Angie, I have dinner."

Typical of the second class, but with mako in their system, they burned off calories quickly with their high metabolism. He probably hadn't eaten in awhile.

The second class moved towards the door where he left the bag. He picked up and quickly padded to Angeal, ready for their usual routine.

Half-way through dinner, Angeal surprised Zack when he abruptly changed the topics. They were originally discussing his progress and out of the blue, he switched the subject.

"How's Cloud's training coming along?"

Hell, Angeal even surprised himself.

"He's coming along nicely. Cloud needs more confidence in himself. He has the moves down and picks up things quickly. Why do you ask?"

Angeal paused as he gave his love a serious look. "Remember the warning I gave you?"

Zack nodded his head. He needed to be careful as there was a threat to him. It seemed the cadet was a possible target. The thought made him pale.

"I'll help when I can with his training, but with my missions, I can't be too sure of when it will be," the first class answered.

"Great! I'm sure Cloud would love it," Zack said grinning.

However, he felt a feeling of loss somewhere. He knew Angeal was trying to be helpful though that part of him wanted Cloud to be only his. Maybe he was being selfish, but he had an urge to protect Cloud from everything and everything bad.


	6. Missing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack and Cloud spend time bonding. Where is Angeal in all this tooth rotting fluff?

"Oh Cloudy," Zack sang as he skipped down the hall, bringing attention to himself. He received quite a few stares and chuckles from the first classes he passed. "I have a surprise for you."

A handful of cadets poked their heads out, wondering who was that insane SOLDIER. They were yelled at by their instructors and hurried back to their assignments.

As soon as he was within hearing distance, Cloud groaned. He didn't need this especially with Okami's pet students nearby. Didn't they have anything better to do than to pick on him?

"Your boyfriend's here," Evan sneered while their instructor was admonishing another student. He circled around the blond. "Not brave without your bodyguards, are you?"

The blond rolled his blue eyes and stepped away from Evan and his minions. He wouldn't cave into his urge to punch the idiot even though he could get away unscathed. The last thing he needed was a black mark on his permanent record.

Sergeant Okami would pounce on this opportunity. Most likely, he worked with his pets to weed out the students who he thought to be weak, meaning the good fighters. Those pets were now convening around him.

"That Tailor kid isn't here to protect you," Evan jeered. He walked in front of Cloud and kept moving in front as the blond tried to ignore him. "I guess what they say is true. Once a chicken, always a chicken."

Children. They were a bunch of children. Cloud refused to sink to their level. Yet, it was so very tempting to show off the moves he learned from Zack, who actually knew what he was doing.

"What's the matter? Are you dumb? I just insulted you. Are you a man or a chocobo?"

Cloud wished he would shut up already. Couldn't he come up with better insults? Before either of them could act, Zack pounced on Cloud.

"Gah, what are you doing here? I have class."

"Nuh uh, it's over," Zack cheerfully announced. He pointed to the synchronized clock. "You'd better get going. All the edible food will be gone if you dilly dally."

The instructor sent several glares to the SOLDIER's back. He hated that kid, rising through the ranks so easily and quickly too. Then again, he hated people who had more talent than him.

"Oh," Cloud said as he allowed himself to be lead (dragged) out of the room. He felt a chill run down his spine. It must be those bullies or their instructor. He figured it had to be Sergeant Okami, because he been made a fool of by Zack on numerous occasions. "Zack?"

"Hm?"

"I was wondering if you know what happened to Dirk. He wasn't in class today, and he never skips classes."

Zack guessed both the older Tailors wanted to keep them safe or something along those lines. He scratched his head. "I'm not sure what happened."

Those big blue eyes just had to look up at him. Oh how he both loved and dreaded him. They made him turn into a pile of mushy Zack.

"I'll see if he's okay." 'Gods, I'm such a pushover.' Zack wanted to sigh, but that would tip off Cloud. He also felt like his puppy had died. It was an irrational feeling, and he knew it.

Cloud smiled and actually hugged him. "Thank you." He had been worried all through class. The quints were most of the few friends he had. "So?"

The second class looked miffed. "Can't I spend time with my friend?"

"Best friend?"

"Of course!" Zack playfully nudged him, minding his strength. How could they not be friends? "What? Did you think we're just friends, hm?"

The cadet smiled again and shook his head. He was glad Zack considered them to be good friends. Things were starting to look up. Now all he needed to do was pass all his classes so he wouldn't have to deal with them on a daily basis.

"Um, we're going the wrong way," Cloud spoke up when he saw them turn the opposite direction. They were heading to the second and third classes' cafeteria. The food wasn't bad from what food Zack brought him.

"No, we're heading the right way." Zack's smile widened if possible.

'He's up to something. Should I run while I have my sanity in tact?' Cloud glanced around for the nearest escape route. He wasn't about to dive out of a window or hole himself up in another classroom. When they approached a set of stairs, he felt an arm being draped over his shoulders.

"No worries. We won't get into trouble," Zack assured after he felt Cloud tense. "You need to trust me more."

"Did you remember the time you decided to put chocobo strength in mmft-."

Zack's mako blue eyes scanned for any first or second classes. He released his grip on the cadet's mouth. "We are never to mention that in public."

Cloud gave him that look whenever he was being an idiot. "We were lucky they ruled it as circumstantial."

In response, Zack grinned sheepishly. Why was he always on the losing end of these? Maybe he should start using his head more often and for thinking.

"So you decided to kidnap me for a lunch date?" Cloud asked, filling the uneasy silence. He had grown used to Zack's constant idle chatter about anything, and it felt awkward with the silence that hung around them.

Mischief twinkled in the second class' eyes, causing Cloud to almost shudder and run away, far away. Sadly, Zack tightened his grip on the cadet. The uneasy silence returned for a moment.

"I knew it you're up to something!"

Zack put on his hurt look as he swung Cloud so they could look at each other in the eye. "I'm hurt you think so little of me. After all I've done for you, this is how you treat me?" He sniffled.

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Quit being a ham. You already know the answer to that."

Inside the second/third class cafeteria, the lunch lady waved to him. She recognized those set of spikes anywhere. "Long time no see. What are you, on a diet?"

Being the social person, Zack dragged his buddy over to her. "Pfft, me on a diet? Be serious about it."

"A young man like yourself needs the extra nutrition. You, SOLDIERs, are too skinny. Put on some weight. Oh if I was only ten years younger." She had a dreamy expression as she stared at the ceiling.

"Try thirty." He received a mock glare from her. "But I'm already taken."

"It's sad really. The good ones are taken or gay. What's a young woman to do?"

"Tell me when you meet one."

This time he received a foot stomp courtesy of Cloud. Zack yelped and began jumping up and down on his good foot. Why must Cloud be so brutal to him? Maybe he should wear his steel toed combat boots instead of the cheap ones the company provided.

"Be nice," Cloud chastised, giving him a death glare that would rival Sephiroth's.

Once the pain subsided, Zack returned the glare with one of his own. "No need to resort to violence."

"Pfft, that's the only way you learn anything. I'm surprised you haven't driven Commander Hewley insane by now."

The SOLDIER's mouth dropped. "Hey I can too learn things. It just takes a little while." Why did he hang around Cloud?

"More like a rolled up newspaper."

"Gah! I knew it. You two are conspiring against me. This isn't fair."

"Only in your mind."

"… I don't like you," Zack muttered even though he didn't mean it. He hated being outworded or whatever. Why couldn't he win against either of them?

Meanwhile the lunch lady sighed. To be young and in love, wouldn't it be grand? 'So this must be the one who snagged Zack. He's so cute and can keep him in check. They make a cute couple.' Her inner fan girl squeed with joy. She wondered if they would let her take pictures.

"…" Zack didn't know what to say.

"You've found a good one. Make sure you don't lose him. He's such a cutie."

Zack tilted his head in confusion while Cloud blushed furiously. He looked between the two. What was going on?

Having received their meals, Cloud clamped onto Zack's wrist and dragged him away from the insanely grinning lunch lady.

"Yo, easy on the arm," the SOLDIER said but allowed the blond to drag him wherever he wanted, which was down the line. He snagged a few things along the way and then paid for their meals.

This was way unusual of the blond. He normally wasn't this assertive. Zack found he liked this side though he didn't know why. He was glad Cloud was coming out of his shell.

"What's up?"

Cloud refused to talk about it. If the other spiky haired man didn't figure it out tough luck. Cloud wasn't going to tell.

"Ouch, the cold shoulder treatment. Did I do something wrong? Cloudy, please tell me. I'll make it right." The SOLDIER couldn't lose Cloud as a friend. It was up there with Angeal rejecting him. He didn't want to let go or think about it.

The blond sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. He really didn't want to tell. "It's not you. I promise. It's more on what she asked?"

"Miss Candy? She's sweet. I'm not talking about her name. Come to think of it, I don't think that's her real name." At least Cloud wasn't mad at him, but she mentioned something about finding a good one. Did she mean friend?

"Sounds more like a cross-dresser's name," Cloud sighed, plopping down in an empty chair at an empty table.

A dark brow was raised. Since when Cloud know about them? "Really, I didn't know about it." Wasn't he supposed to be the innocent one?

"We had one in our small town. His name is Princess, and certainly didn't look like one." The blond nearly shuddered at the memory. It was awful. He was thankful he didn't have nightmares from that traumatic experience.

Zack winced. There were certain people who should never wear a dress ever. He took a seat across from the cadet.

"Well, most undercover missions go to the Turks so you don't have to worry about dressing in a dress." He gave Cloud a real good look over. "Though I must say, you'll look stunning in a dress.

Cloud nearly choked on his salad. This reminded him about a conversation he had not too long ago. "I swear I will not wear a dress."

The SOLDIER chuckled. He found a flushed Cloud to be rather cute. "Not even for me?" Nope. From the way the blond glared daggers at him, he knew the answer. "I still think you'd look cute."

"Absolutely not. If I were in a relationship, I'm wearing the pants." Cloud stabbed his meatball to emphasized his point.

Wait a second. Did Miss Candy think they were dating? "Oh. She may be nice, but has a few screws loose. Don't take what she says seriously." Yet some little voice kept nagging him.

"Okay," Cloud wasn't sure what to make of her. He didn't know what except he wanted to get this done and over with. For some reason, he felt strange around his second class friend. It felt like he was meeting Zack for the first time. "You said something about a surprise." Hopefully, it wouldn't be embarrassing as Zack's last surprise. He wanted to hide under his bed at home forever.

The second class pretended to look hurt as he placed his hands over his heart. "You wound me." He read Cloud's body language. It told him flight or fight. "But seriously, you'll be stoked by this."

"Somehow, I doubt it," the cadet said a bit on the wary side. He picked up his piece of bread and tore into it.

Shaking his head, the second class wished Cloud would trust him. Then again, he had a penchant for getting them into compromising positions and in trouble. "No really, I mean it."

"Let's see it."

Zack chuckled. "I can't show it. You know Angeal? Well, he's agreed to help me with your training. He might not make it all the time, but he's going to try. Now, that wasn't painful, was it?"

Cloud didn't know what to say. His voice failed him several times. This was his dream come true. It would help him closer to his goal, becoming a hero.

Seeing Cloud's nearly comatose state, Zack laughed and gently swatted the blond. "Come on, it's not bad. You know how many students he takes?" The dark haired SOLDIER went on and on about his mentor turned lover.

The blond, on the other hand, could only nod his head dumbly and eat lunch. Out of experience, he never thought he would meet any of the legendary three let alone be trained by one.

"So Cloudy," Zack asked after not hearing a peep out of the blond for awhile. He resorted to poking him. Still no response. Maybe he should have it done more subtly? Nah, that wasn't his style.

Wait, was this some kind of joke? It was too good to be true, but at the same time, Zack wouldn't pull this kind of prank on him. He wasn't mean or cruel. Oh wait, what was Zack doing.

"And then Angeal said to be tough and take it hard. Who knew sword play could be so exhausting and fun?"

"Doesn't it require muscle to wield the Buster?"

The SOLDIER nearly fell over in laughter. Cloud was too innocent and naïve for his own good. He was going to change that over time. Zack vowed to help him see the light.

"Did I say something funny?"

Shaking his head, the second class replied. "No. It's something you're too young for." He reached over and ruffled the soft blond spikes.

Said person glared and swatted the offending hand away. "Don't mess up my hair."

The second class laughed once more. "It doesn't look any different. Relax. I'm sure one bad hair day isn't going to kill you or be the end of the world." The slumped look told him there was more to this than a bad hair day. "It's more than that, isn't it?"

Cloud nodded his head. He couldn't most (all) secrets from his ever watchful mentor. Still, he didn't want to burden Zack who already did so much for him, a lowly cadet.

"It's nothing really. I meant that's what best friends are for, right?" Zack pushed away his empty tray and leaned against the table, his head resting on his hands. He learned forward so he could look into those beautiful blue eyes…

Did he just think of Cloud's eyes as beautiful? It must be the lack of sleep. There was no other explanation unless he liked Cloud as more than a friend.

Was it possible to like two people? He thought he was supposed to feel that way toward one person and only one person? On second thought, why was he even entertaining this thought?

"Zack, are you okay?" Cloud asked a whole lot closer than he was, startling the second class.

He grinned in good nature. "Sorry, I had my head up in the clouds. Hey, no more hitting. Be thankful I didn't mention a certain species of bird."

While he was grateful, Cloud didn't like making fun of his name. He had no idea why he had been named Cloud. His mother didn't even know. All she knew was that his father really wanted to name him Cloud. He didn't say for what reason.

"Thanks, I guess."

Border!

Being second in command wasn't all that. Right now, he wanted to crawl into bed and curl up against his sweet but way too energetic puppy. He also needed some pain killers for this CEO migraine inducing meeting?

Why did he need to be there? He was a SOLDIER, not an accountant. Maybe they were testing him. His puppy was more than enough, but he was too cute that he couldn't stay mad at him for too long.

The ride up the elevator didn't make it better. In fact, it might have made it worse. SOLDIER's number one psycho happened to be there.

Tense from the meeting, Angeal was ready to strike or defend himself if need be, however, the situation never arose. The other first class seemed to be subdued. Was his eyes glossed over? It was nearly impossible for first class SOLDIERs to become drunk, but it happened from time to time. They rarely had hangovers with their high metabolism.

Angeal had to do a double take on the younger first class. It was as if he was in a world of his own, but he knew better. The other most likely had been to the lab and probably ended up in the 'good' hands of the doctor.

Observing the other first class, he made mental notes of any twitch or little signs. Needless to say, there wasn't anything. If he hadn't been patient, he would be sleeping. Come to think of it, the younger SOLDIER probably didn't register his presence.

As soon as the doors slid open, he walked off in a zombie like state. He walked to his door without any problems or incidents.

Once the car started moving, Angeal pondered a lot of things. What was happening within SOLDIER? Why were certain people acting strange? How was Cloud doing outside of his classes? There were too many questions for his liking and not enough answers. He could easily pull up Cloud's scores.

At his floor, he stepped off the elevator and walked quickly to the place he called home. He fished out his key on his way there, however, he never had to use it as the door opened. Angeal found his arms full of his puppy as he was glomped.

If he had a tail, it would be wagging rapidly. His blue eyes shined brightly, and it wasn't the mako. He was beaming from the inside. "I was wondering when you'd get home."

"Down boy," Angeal said playfully. Only Zack could bring this side out of him. However, there might be another person, but that was another thought for another day. He chuckled when his puppy cutely pouted and pried Zack off so he could actually enter their shared apartment. "What's the good news?"

Not being able to keep still, Zack bounced on the heels of his feet. "How did you know? Are you reading my mind?" First Cloud and now Angeal?

The first class chuckled and ruffled the soft spiky black hair. He liked running his hand through them. In spite of their appearance, they were soft and silky. "You're an open book."

Not fair.

"You're cheating."

"You're avoiding the question. I'm guessing I'll need to bail you out of whatever mess you've landed yourself into this time."

Zack stuck up his nose and turns his back to his lover, his arms crossed. "I'll hope you know I was well behaved. I didn't even pull Cloud out of class. I waited for him to get out."

"Oh so you dragged him into your half baked plans? I pity the poor kitten." Angeal was behind him and wrapped his muscular arms around the smaller frame. It fit perfectly.

"I resent that. You two are tag teaming against me."

"I think I like him."

This proved it. They were so against him. "I knew it. You two are conspiring against me." The second class pouted once again.

"Perhaps," Angeal teased. "SO what is making you so bouncy tonight?"

Having a short attention span, Zack forgot about the teasing. "Cloud is stoked about the good news. He was rendered speechless."

"That's good," Angeal said. He placed his chin on that soft hair. His reputation, while good in commanding an army, made it difficult for him to associate with people outside of first class and ShinRa administration. "I hope he isn't intimidated by my position."

"He's shy around anyone. Just give him a little time. He'll warm up to you." Zack loved the feel of those powerful arms gently holding him. It felt safe and warm and comfortable.

"Good."

Angeal had this insane urge to protect the blond even though they barely met. He felt drawn to Cloud just as he had with Zack.

Border Again Love Me!

Green eyes darted around. He needed to avoid a certain madman, who somehow managed to find him every single damned time he missed an appointment. It was as if he planted a tracer on him, which he wouldn't put past the 'good' doctor.

Thankfully, the doctor rarely left the lab and didn't know his way around the SOLDIER dormitories. He hated associating with inferior beings. To Hojo, the president was considered to be among these beings. Sephiroth considered him to be a tub of lard. He could easily toss the fat executive one handed and still beat the older SOLDIERs.

Once deep in the SOLDIER dorms, Sephiroth peeled himself from the shadows. Imagine him, the great general, reduced to sneaking around. Very few things intimidated him, and he intimidating so many people with a few exceptions. They fell into one of the categories: stupid, courageous, suicidal, or plain psychotic.

He maneuvered around the area as he knew the place like the back of his hand. The General could do this in his sleep. He didn't pause in the third or second class dorms but headed straight to the first class quarters.

Reaching the door, he slid his hard and entered. He hated doing this whenever his appointments came around. This time, it had been an impromptu appointment. His Turk ally notified him ahead of time so he had been able to escape his office. No doubt, Hojo was swearing profusely when he discovered an empty office.

Now he only had one important thing to do before he retired for the night.


	7. A Zack Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zack + Label Maker = Embarrassing Moments Seeing the Light of Day
> 
> In short, NEVER give Zack a label maker. Unfortunately someone does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short story while I worked on the other chapters as in catch up...
> 
> way back when. Hope you enjoy this.
> 
> Nothing to do with the plot.

A pink box with matching pink lacy ribbon.

The second class SOLDIER twitched at the sight of the very girly present. Why did they give him feminine things just because he was the uke of the relationship? It didn't mean he suddenly gained estrogen.

"What's this?" Zack asked the insane first class. Angeal warned him about this one, but Tala kept finding him like he had a tracer or something.

The first class rolled his eyes. "Isn't it obvious? Happy Birthday, Puppy. Yeah, I know I'm late, but it's the thought that counts."

True, but why did it have to be pink AND frilly? Those were very unmanly. Zack hesitated for a moment before Tala urged him to open it. He tore through the girly wrapping paper and smiled mischievously. Oh, he was going to have fun!

Who would have thought the insane first class was capable of giving appropriate birthday presents?

Border

After a challenging spar with Sephiroth, Angeal was more than ready to spend a quiet evening with his puppy, but knowing Zack, he doubt it would happen. The second class was too energetic and bouncy which was what drew him to his puppy. They complemented each other.

'Zack's first grope.'

'Zack and Angeal's first make out.'

'Angeal's first blow job.'

'Zack's sword rack.'

'Angeal's sword rack.'

'Zack's movies.'

'Angeal's boring books.'

'Use coasters for beverages.'

'Zack's first orgasm.'

And so forth. Almost everything had a label on it even the walls. Someone certainly had been busy. Oh gods, were there more rooms labeled like this?

Angeal resisted running to his puppy and thwapping him senseless with a rolled up newspaper. Where did he get that label maker? The last time he remembered Zack promised to stop spending his entire paycheck once he received it and started saving a portion of it.

First thing, he needed to find his puppy before he put up something more embarrassing than the ones in the kitchen and living area. He sent a prayer to any god that no one would spontaneously stop by before he could remove the inappropriate labels.

"Hey Angie!" Zack called out, seeing his lover pass the doorway. He was almost finished with their room when he felt Angeal's presence nearby.

The older SOLDIER froze at the sight of those labels. Apparently, no god had listened to his silent prayer or they were loonier than Genesis, Tala, AND Hojo combined. That was something which sent shivers down his spine just thinking about it. "Puppy."

"Yes?" Looking innocent and cute wasn't going to get him out so easily.

"What is the meaning of his?" Angeal motioned towards the numerous labels. He wasn't mad, more like frustrated. What went between them stayed between them. No one needed to know especially not Genesis or Tala. He would never hear the end of it from them.

Zack tilted his head. "Oh, this is so we don't confused who's stuff is who's." That grin didn't sit well with the first class. "Then I thought why not label where we had our special moments so we won't forget." His logic confounded most, even the intelligent Sephiroth.

"Couldn't you write it in a journal?" Men didn't own diaries. It was for women and little boys. At least this way, it wasn't broadcasted to all their guests. Granted, Zack had more people over than him.

Bounding over to Angeal, Zack glomped him. "That's so boring, and I already did it. No, you can't read it cause it's personal."

Even if he could, Angeal doubted he would be able to read Zack's chocobo scrawl. "Fine, but if we have guests, these come down, understood?"

The second class nodded his head eagerly.

How did he get himself into this mess?

Border

The next day, Angeal woke up after a good night's sleep. He didn't think he had enough energy to spar with Seph and go for a romp with his puppy, but somehow he did. Stretching, Angeal felt something strange on his lower region. He raised a brow as he never had this feeling before. Pulling off the thin blanket, Angeal nearly laughed at the absurdity of it all.

There on his precious part were three labels. How Zack managed to get them on there was a mystery.

…

Wait, when did he put it on, and more importantly….

How painful was it going to be to remove?

'Property of Zack Fair.' (shaft)

'Touch and die.' (left ball)

'Restricted area.' (right ball)


	8. Change of Pace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud spends time with his new friend and potential boyfriend (maybe).

Cloud loved learning. He read a lot of books as there wasn't much he could do in his small home town especially when it snowed. The librarian knew him and considered to be a good friend. She even recommended a few books and if Cloud was a day late, she didn't charge him the usual late fees. Not many young people enjoyed reading. She was glad he used his mind.

However, Cloud wasn't fond of his present company. It had been a few weeks since he befriended Dirk and his four brothers. They spent time together after classes, having fun, cramming, or just hanging out. In this time, the bullies kept coming. They were relentless. The Sergeant was no different. He made it worse by encouraging people to pick on the weak students. This was to discourage them and save money in his opinion.

Thankfully, Dirk returned to classes a few days after being pulled out. He didn't say for what reason, and Cloud wasn't going to poke his nose where it didn't belong. At least, he was able to keep up with the rest of their classmates, which wasn't saying much. Cloud had thought Sergeant Oakmi would drop him, but he had a letter from Commander Micah Tailor.

It was good to know people in high places.

Stretching out on the mats, Cloud prepared for another grueling session with Sergeant Okami. He was thankful that Zack taught him the proper technique, but at the same time was patient when he couldn't seem to get it. Angeal even dropped by a few times, making him nervous.

With seven minutes to class, Cloud was one of the few who arrived early, not due to the fondness or respect of their instructor. They studied hard, wanting to make it into SOLDIER on their own merit.

"Yo," a familiar voice greeted as he plopped down next to Cloud and began his stretches. "Ready for our test?"

"It's more like a joke," Cloud scoffed. They were making fools of themselves. He guessed the teacher was the joke of the staff, and he wouldn't put it past the other staff members.

Dirk chuckled. "So true, but don't let the Sergeant hear you. He'd probably knock your score by fifty points." He heard from someone that a former cadet had insulted the Sergeant and received a low score on his test, resulting in him becoming an M.P.

"You don't have to tell me. He'll probably knock off points for looking at him the wrong way." Cloud wished they would get more fair teachers. Micah seemed to be a nice guy from the few times they saw each other. Zack would be a good one too except for his ability or lack of it to concentrate.

"I wouldn't put it past him," the other cadet replied. He shifted his weight to stretch out his other muscle. The other students would be arriving. They usually came with a minute or two to spare.

"Now that I think about it, where's our instructor? He can't wait to punish us."

Now that he thought of it, Cloud hadn't seen the Sergeant, and he was the first to arrive. "He never misses class. I don't think he does field duty so it can't be that. Maybe there's an emergency teacher meeting?"

Shrugging, Dirk replied, "He might be sick for all we know, but I'm glad he isn't here. We could get a good instructor for the day."

They could only hope so.

Seconds before the class was supposed to start, the stampede of students came. Yesterday had been a grueling day. Most of them probably slept in. Needless to say, they were shocked to find no teacher and started fooling around or chatting.

"Let's move away before their stupidity affects us," Dirk scowled before he moved to the furthest spot he could yet be counted in the class. He kept an eye on the bullies. They enjoyed being the center of attention. At least, the two wouldn't be bothered by them. They were such hams.

The blond moved over to his only friend in the class. At this point, he could take them on individually, but as a group, he didn't stand much of a chance. Maybe he could ask Angeal or Zack to teach him fighting against multiple opponents.

"I didn't think stupidity was contagious," Cloud mused. He knew Zack acted stupid and foolish at times, but he was more than that. The SOLDIER was observant for the most part, intelligent, and sometimes wise. "I hope it isn't. If so, our IQ would be in the negative range."

"It isn't possible, but you never know."

"Reminds me of a disease."

Dirk chuckled and playfully nudged Cloud's shoulders. "I can think of something that falls into that category." He was a disease, spreading his inferior knowledge among the SOLDIERs. His brothers ended up with good teachers thankfully. Out of them, he didn't need someone to hold his hand. In fact, he didn't want it.

Cloud could think of a few more people to add to that group. They lived in a different dorm than him. Maybe that was why they took delight in tormenting him whenever they met. "You know, there are a few more I can think of." He glanced over to the small group.

The younger (by a little) cadet nodded his head. "Very true." He looked over to the wall on the clock. It was past the time they were supposed to start. He wasn't going to press the issue though.

Most of the students didn't notice as they were too busy chatting, showing off, or napping (though he didn't blame these people). It wasn't too hard to tell who would succeed and who was going to end up as canon fodder.

Before either of them could contemplate this, the door swung open and a first class entered the room. He sore the usual uniform, showing off his muscular body and causing many to envy him.

"Hello students. Your teacher is no longer available for class so you're stuck with me. I'm not going to take it easy on any of you, and don't expect me to follow his crappy techniques. If you have any problems, get over it. I'm not your mommy. Any questions?"

Angeal/Zack/Cloud Angeal/Zack/Cloud Angeal/Zack/Cloud

Almost three weeks and no word.

Angeal paced in his office, wearing a long trench into the floor. He looked over at his silent phone as if expecting someone to call him any second. When it remained silent, he resumed his pacing.

He shouldn't be this nervous. Zack had proved himself time after time on missions without him. He received many praises from his peers, subordinates, and superiors. Out of them, he had yet to receive a life threatening injury.

Then again, the second class had only gone on about a dozen missions without him or a trusted friend (Sephiroth or Kurai). Zack managed to get along with almost everyone, which was no surprise considering his cheerful and friendly personality.

He somehow managed to worm his way into Seph's heart, and that was no easy task. The General rarely tolerated stupidity or foolishness, yet, he found the boy's antics endearing even if he wouldn't admit it.

When was the transport arriving? It was already five minutes late!

Wait, his clock might be running to fast unless they encountered problems. The group responsible for the third class abduction had yet to be apprehended. Wesley hadn't reported anything, but he suspected the younger first class went directly to Sephiroth.

The commander halted in front of his window and stared out into the night sky. He wish he could see his pup now.

A soft knock interrupted his thoughts. "Enter."

The door opened and shut just as quickly. "Sir, I was wondering if Zack…" His voice trailed off.

Angeal shook his head. Not a single word since their last report which was a few days ago. He had been against this mission, but they assured him it was nothing he couldn't handle. However, there were no first classes, which made him sick with worry.

He turned to face his guest and found him saluting. "At ease, cadet. You have my permission to drop the formalities." Zack never liked them, preferring to give everyone a nickname or two.

The cadet relaxed and dropped his salute, but he was still nervous even after the few lessons. Never in his wildest dreams did he a lowly country boy befriend SOLDIER's second in command. "Do you know when he's coming back?"

"No." Angeal sounded as if he had been announcing the death of a loved one. It sent chills down the cadet's spine. "According to the itinerary, they were supposed to arrive fifteen minutes ago, but sometimes, they are delayed by hours."

He could feel something was wrong. "Maybe they had an unexpected delay?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. Come closer, I don't bite." Angeal didn't like the distance between them. It reminded him too much of their difference in rank.

Hesitantly, the blond inched forward as if the first class would and could strike at any moment. This was the first time he had been alone with Zack's mentor. He didn't know how to act around him. Zack seemed to lighten the mood.

The scenery looked dreary. The night filled sky was full of green, making an eerie glow when the full moon shone right through. It wasn't much of a sight.

"The view isn't that great."

Cloud nodded his head, not trusting his voice. In his home town, they could see the stars, and the air was much cleaner. They had a much simple life compared to Midgar, but they were also isolated and were backwards compared to a lot of places.

Glancing down at the cadet, Angeal smiled lightly. The blond was too busy looking out the window to be nervous around him. Cloud was a picture of innocence, and he intended to protect that. Now if only Zack would stop trying to corrupt him.

"It's hard to see the stars here, but back in Banora, they shine brightly. They are a sight to behold." They weren't the only ones.

"Is that your home town?" Cloud asked timidly. He looked up, his blue eyes shining with curiosity.

"It is," Angeal said, glad that the cadet was finally speaking to him. "What about you? Where is your home town?" Even though he already knew from the profiles, he wanted Cloud to tell him.

"It's a small mountain village, Nibelheim. Not many people know about it." Cloud shifted nervously under the mako gaze. Some said it was a mark of a monster, but to him, they were beautiful.

"There are small towns everywhere. I wouldn't be surprised if half of them aren't on any maps." People tended to gather where they could survive. Considering ShinRa, they probably were scattered throughout the continent.

"There are that many?" Cloud asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. Nibelheim was an isolated town. They didn't have many connections to the outside world, and most of their literature was outdated.

Angeal nodded his head. "So many of them. Some of them, I hadn't heard of until I went on missions."

For the next hour or so, the first class recounted a few missions in his early days as a third class. Neither of them noticed the passage of time as they were wrapped up in the stories. Every now and then, Cloud would ask a question or three.

"Have you eaten dinner?"

Cloud shook his head. He managed to take a few bites before he felt like bringing it all back up. What he wouldn't give to steal his Mom and bring her here.

"Hm… the gruel they serve cadets and infantry men isn't fit for a dog," Angeal commented, rubbing his chin with his gloved hand.

"But somehow Zack could..." Cloud blurted out and then blushed profusely for making fun of his mentor in front of his mentor's mentor.

"He's in a class of his own," Angeal mused and ruffled Cloud's spiky hair. It seemed odd that he actually did it, but it felt so natural like with Zack. His eyes fell on one flickering light off in the distance. "I highly advise for your health, do not let Zack cook." Poor Kunsel, he tried one of Zack's specialties and wound up in the infirmary for two days. They were both SOLDIERs with a decent amount of mako in their system.

Blue eyes widened. "I absolutely refuse to eat anything he prepared. My friends told me about Lieutenant Kunsel."

"Then you should be fine."

"I do the cooking between the two of us," Cloud shyly admitted. He stared hard at his two very used and abused combat boots. It was something women did, not men or almost men. He didn't consider himself a man until he joined SOLDIER.

"So I hear. Zack keeps talking about your special stew. If it's not too much, I'd like to try it."

The cadet felt like his face was on fire. He must be sporting a bright red blush. It was a simple dish his Mom taught him. He loved it, but no one made the way she did. She had taught him every technique and secret she knew.

"Sure, it wouldn't be too much trouble," Cloud said, wincing as his voice cracked. Was he going through puberty again or what?

"It would be easier in a kitchen. You can borrow mine whenever you like." The first class didn't know what prompted him to make this generous offer, and he didn't take back what he said. The cadet's smile assured him he made the right decision.

"Call Zack or I. We'll let you in."

Thinking about the second class, Cloud tried to peer down to the ground floor, hoping to see that mass of unruly spikes. Much to his dismay, he couldn't see anyone, let alone Zack.

"He has my number," Angeal said softy, his hand slightly twitching. He wanted to run his hand through those soft spikes, but that would be strange since they barely knew each other. It must be Zack influencing him… for the better or worse, he didn't know. "Would you like to grab something to eat? My treat."

The first class knew how little the cadets had. While he hadn't been one due to his acceleration into the program, his younger and some older friends went through it. They constantly complained about the food and not having enough money to buy things. Military personnel or the grunts earned more, but it wasn't that much. Most of the budget went to research, SOLDIER, executive luxuries, and executive projects.

"Are you sure?" Cloud looked up with those blue eyes. It reminded Angeal of the sky on a perfect sunny day.

Angeal nodded his head. "I'm sure I can spare a few gil."

"Thank you, sir."

"You can call me Angeal. I'm off duty. There is no need for formality." His puppy had rubbed off on him. Now if it would only happen with a certain General that would be great. Sephiroth needed to loosen up. He wondered what kind of person it would take to penetrate that ice wall around his heart.

Not that he was going to play matchmaker. He only wanted Sephiroth to be happy.

"Oh okay," the cadet stuttered and then blushed again. He sore he would remain bright red all night. Taking a few deep breaths, he attempted to get rid of that cursed blush.

"Where would you like to eat?" Angeal inquired, turning around and started to leave. If Cloud was anything like Zack, he'd follow. Sure enough, he followed, reminding Angeal of a baby chocobo.

But he doubted Cloud would appreciate such comment. It was the same as him calling Zack puppy. Somehow, the name stuck, and even the other first classes called him that.

"There's this one lace I'd like to try," Cloud said hesitantly. He didn't know how generous the first class was, and it was expensive for him at least.

"Hm."

"It's the new Wutai café on the corner. They opened a couple weeks ago. I never had any Wutaian cuisine so I'm curious about it." Zack wanted to drag him to one, but they could never find the time, or the second class didn't have enough gil for the both of them as he tended to spend it quickly.

Angeal heard about it from his fellow first classes. It was a decent restaurant for the price, and it wasn't too expensive, maybe for a cadet or trooper. "I've wanted to try their cuisine. It's been awhile since I had any." And it came with painful memories of him during the war. He wanted to see their culture, but under peaceful circumstances as guests, not during war as enemies. They had such a rich culture. It was a shame they had to go to war with them.

"Isn't it expensive?" The cadet didn't want to trouble the first class when he did so much already.

"It's fine. Order anything you like." Angeal normally didn't like bragging or flaunting his paycheck, but at the same time, he liked sharing with his friends. Then again, he could be reading too deep into things unlike some of his fellow first classes.

That smile appeared. Cloud looked so adorable when he smiled. It made Angeal want to hug him, and he wasn't the hugging type.

He couldn't believe a first class was taking him out to dinner. Wait, cadets weren't allowed off grounds and had curfews. "Sir… I mean Angeal, what about curfew and restrictions."

"I'm permitting you to accompany me off grounds, and the curfew is to make sure cadets are well rested." It was more like to keep them safe whilst the SOLDIERs figured out what was going on with the abductions.

"You're not going to get in trouble, are you?"

The first class chuckled. "I doubt they would mind or even care so long as I'm not late for work." Being second in command had its perks.

The last thing Cloud wanted was to get the commander in trouble when he was being so generous. "Is there anything you recommend?"

"I can tell you frog legs do not taste like chicken, and I'd avoid any of the sea food specials. Genesis tried it once, and let's just say he spent a lot of his time in the bathroom."

Cloud made a mental note to never ever eat any Wutai sea food specials. If they made a first class no less pay homage to the porcelain bowl, he shuddered at the thought it would do an unenhanced person like him.

"I'm sorry."

"I feel sorry for the cleaning crew."

Oh so it came out that end. "I wonder which is more toxic, that or the time Heidigger used the restroom."

That brought up unpleasant memories. "I hope to never encounter anything like that. They're still working on removing the stench."

"They are? I mean it's been at least a month."

"Trust me, they are. That's why any SOLDIER refuses to go near there." The first class figured the cadet wouldn't know since the area was off limits to him."

Wow, it must be more toxic than he originally thought, but SOLDIERs had enhanced senses so it had to be worse for them. Sometimes, he was glad his senses weren't that sensitive yet.

Reaching the elevator, Angeal slipped in his ID card. He punched the down arrow. In spite of their light conversation, his mind was still on Zack. Was his unit attacked? Did he make it out alive? Were there any fatalities?

Cloud racked his mind trying to think of anything to talk about. It came up with a white flag. He needed to stop watching those cartoons with Zack if his train of thoughts went that way.

Blue eyes looked up at the taller man before focusing on those broad shoulders and bulging biceps. Once again, he blushed a bright red. He could see how and why Zack was attracted to the first class on a visual basis. There was more to him than raw power and position.

When they entered, Angeal's sword caught his attention. It was huge! That probably weighed as much as him or maybe even more. It also would cost a fortune since it had to withstand SOLDIER strength and repeated blows. He had yet to see the sword in action, but it must be a sight to behold. His jaw dropped when he saw the first class handle it as if weighed nothing, and they were in an enclosed area. One day, he would have that kind of sword.

"You like?"

Cloud nodded his head. This was a weapon of SOLDIER first class. It represented strength, stability, and endurance.

"She is a beauty, but an expensive one," Angeal said with a somber voice. His thoughts drifted to his mother who worked hard to earn enough money for this. They weren't a rich family, but in SOLDIER, he earned enough money to send some home and save some too.

Busy admiring the sword, Cloud didn't notice the saddened expression on the elder's face. He could see his reflection in the well polished blade. "May I?"

Angeal nodded his head. He wouldn't allow just anyone to touch his sword, but Cloud wasn't anyone. The blond cadet was someone special. He smiled seeing the cadet run his fingers across the cool metal and then grip the handle as if he was the one wielding it.

If this was a dream, Cloud never wanted to wake up. Angeal was being kind to him and allowed him to touch his sword. It felt awesome. Sadly, all good things must come to an end.

This came when they heard the ding of the elevator. Cloud stepped off first so Angeal could put back his sword, not that he needed a lot of space.

"So which is your car?"

Inside the underground parking lot, there were many cars, some of which were fancy cars that a very select could afford and maintain. The rest were average cars. Cloud suspected they belonged to SOLDIERs who preferred practicality and power over luxury and looks.

In addition to the cars, there were many motorcycles. He knew which one was Zack's as the second class took him out on it often, thus resulting being plastered to against his back. Why did SOLDIERs have a habit of driving too fast and without helmets?

"She's not fancy or high powered, but she's reliable," Angeal said as he walked past the ridiculously expensive vehicles. Somehow, Cloud had a feeling the first class wasn't the type to indulge in lavish things. He seemed to be more down to Earth compared to many SOLDIERs. Then again, he rarely saw any second or first classes outside of these two. It was more like he saw them from a distance.

The cadet wondered if the outside was well worn, but when they reached his car, he was disappointed. It looked like any other car. If it weren't for the driver, there wasn't any distinguishing feature. The fuzzy die was probably Zack's idea. He doubted the first class would bother with it.

Angeal noticed Cloud's lack of response. It could be either good or bad, but he didn't well on it as he opened the backdoor and gently placed his prized sword on the rack he strapped into it. Some might call him crazy for treating his sword like a baby, but it reminded him of all the sacrifice that went into getting him this sword.

As Cloud approached the passenger door, his stomach lurked. The last time he had on a vehicle (not motorcycle and clinging for his life), he felt very sick. He couldn't stand being on a moving vehicle. Would Angeal notice? He hesitantly placed his hand on the door.

Why was Cloud hesitating? The cadet seemed to be having a staring contest with his door. It was rather cute and kittenish.

"I promise I won't drive recklessly or speed like a certain puppy we both know."

The cadet let out a small sigh and opened the door before easing himself in. He closed the door a bit awkwardly. It didn't latch so he did it again, but this time, trying not to shake or make himself out to be a klutz.

Was the cadet so scared of cars? No, he would refuse to get in. Perhaps, Angeal could find out and make it better.

Just like he promised, the first class drove cautiously. A few people called him granny and a few choice words, but when he glared at them, they paled severely and sped away. While he was a patient man, there were some things he would not tolerate.

Cloud had been quiet the entire ride there. He wasn't afraid, more like nauseated. He wondered if he could hold it down on the trip back. It would be terrible on his part if he messed up the kind SOLDIER's car. Maybe he could sleep on the way back. Yeah, that took his mind and stomach off the lurching and bumping.

The cadet hoped the first class hadn't noticed it by now. It was embarrassing! Maybe he could pass it off as something else, hopefully not more embarrassing. Rather than staring outside, he found his boots to be the most interesting on the planet. If he hadn't been zoning in and out, he would have noticed the worried and concerned looks the commander had been giving him throughout the entire ride.

Once parked, Angeal resolved himself to find out the problem. He didn't know why he wanted to protect a cadet he casually knew. It was almost the same urge to protect his puppy.

Could he actually like another? No, Zack was the only one for him…

Maybe.

Why was he doubting their relationship and himself?

"Cloud."

Those adorable eyes looked at him. It took all his willpower not to wrap his muscular arms around the smaller frame. He could do that another time when comforting the boy, of course.

"Yes?"

"I need to know something."


	9. Quality Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So much quality time spent with each other. Makes you wonder what's comes after the calm of the storm. Trouble? Hm?

_"I need to know something."_

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap! Gulp. "What is it?"

Angeal needed to phrase this gently. With Zack, he never had this trouble. They were complete opposites. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Cloud replied, looking everywhere except the first class. He was never good at lying especially to those close to him. Well, the first class was closer than most people even though they recently met. Also the commander had been anything but polite and kind to him. He felt awkward for lying.

The intense mako gaze made him want to crawl into the nearest hole and bury himself alive. He settled for clasping his hands on his lap and fiddling with his SOLDIER issued pants.

'He'd make a horrible Turk,' Angeal thought. The Turks were an elite group of spies and mercenaries. They did the dirty work of the company so the SOLDIERs could look like heroes. It also added to their mysterious reputation, which the President wanted to keep. This helped in intimidating any competition or serious threats.

"Are you sure about it?"

The cadet nodded his head, not trusting his voice to not crack. It would be puberty all over again. He hated it the first time he went through with it. Oh the teasing he received. He'd never forget it, ever.

Angeal was a patient man for the most part, but he found himself becoming more and more impatient. He wanted answers right now, however, he refused to pull rank or threaten the blond. That would not only halt any progress they made but take huge steps backwards. He reminded himself he needed to be extremely patient. Cloud was not Zack. He would not easily bounce back.

"You know you can come to me for anything, no matter how small." The first class attempted to smile genuinely. He hoped he wouldn't scare the cadet. Then again, he rarely smiled, but he smiled more than Sephiroth, which was saying something.

An odd thought crossed his mind. Why was he treating this young man like very fragile glass? Maybe this would offend him? No, he had to stand firm.

"Okay," Cloud replied. He hesitated for a moment and then took a deep breath, hoping the first class wouldn't see it.

Naturally, Angeal did though he pretended not to see it. He made a mental note to ask Zack about Cloud, not that he was prying. No, he would never pry into anyone's personal business unless it affected the person or others in a negative manner.

The two stepped out of the car and made their way to the small café, Angeal grabbing his sword. Never knew when he would be attacked, and he wasn't about anyone harm the cadet. Between them, they drew the attention of many people, Angeal for his Buster sword and Cloud for his molestableness. However, they steered clear of the two. No one in their right mind would mess with a first class especially one with a massive and very sharp sword. That didn't stop them from staring lustfully at the cadet.

Angeal sent those perverts his patented 'Mess with my friends, and I'll hang you by your own intestines' glare. It included the mako shine, turning his dark eyes into an eerie green.

Those who got the message slinked off into the shadows. Maybe the blond meant more to the SOLDIER. They weren't willing to find out.

As for the stupid, they loitered around, hoping to catch the cadet without his protector. No such luck.

The SOLDIER was tempted to wrap his arm around Cloud's waist and declare, "Mine!" He blinked a few time as he processed that unusual thought. The only person who evoked that feeling was Zack.

Was he having a change of heart? No, he loved his puppy more than life itself and couldn't be without him.

Could it be possible to be in love with two people at the same time? He rarely had to share, but people were not possessions. Cloud was certainly not any item or trophy in the same way Zack was.

'Get a grip, Hewley.'

Dinner went well so long as they stayed on the safe subjects like training and weapons. Angeal discovered Cloud wanted to use a sword like Zack's, which he found cute oddly enough. He also found out about his childhood crush and his promise to come back as a SOLDIER first class and protect her. Thankfully, the blond looked away as his eyes started turning green.

Cloud was thankful the SOLDIER didn't prod like some people did. The guy seemed to be a gruff version of Zack though he wasn't the talkative and hugging type.

Afterwards, Angeal treated him to ice cream. He claimed Zack rubbed off on him, but he had a feeling Cloud enjoyed the sweet treat, and sure enough, he was right. It wasn't much for him, but he liked seeing that light in those blue eyes. It reminded of a tamer version of Zack, the way his eyes lit up (pre-mako) whenever given a puppy treat.

BorderBorderBorderBorderBorder

No call from Zack or his commanding officer. Not good. Angeal was sorely tempted to kidnap a Turk and take a helicopter there, but he knew it wouldn't help either of them.

"Sir, is there any word from…"

Angeal shook his head and fished out his PHS. Surely, Seph would know some answers. He waited and waited and waited. Then Seph's voice mail answered. He turned off his PHS and glared at the innocent object.

Blue eyes looked anxiously on. Cloud uneasily shifted his weight from side to side. They always said third time was a charm. Apparently, it hadn't been listening. Without any prompting, Cloud instinctively started stroking the SOLDIER's bicep in a soothing manner.

The SOLDIER smiled softly and pulled the cadet closer to him. He felt a need to protect this gentle flower. In some ways, Cloud was like Zack. They knew what to do at the right time even if it was by instinct.

Cloud blushed bright red. That same feeling coursed throughout his body. He only felt it around Zack, but Angeal was there, not his mentor. Could he like two people? His mind told him to move, but his body refused to cooperate.

Angeal made a comfy pillow.

After a long period of silence, Angeal cursed. The cadet would be late if he didn't leave now. "Cloud, curfew is in ten minutes."

No response except for soft breathing.

The first class took a chance and looked at him. He fought down an insane urge to cuddle the too cute for his own good cadet. It reminded him of a kitten sleeping peacefully.

As much as he needed to wake up Cloud, he found himself wanting to watch the cadet sleep. He shifted the blond to a more comfortable position. It might be awhile, and he slept in more uncomfortable places before.

Drifting off to sleep, Angeal nearly made it there if it weren't for a loud bang. His dark eyes opened and was about to give the person a glare when he saw Zack about to pounce on him. "Don't," he said firmly.

The second class pouted until he saw a second person on the couch, a sleeping Cloud. It made him squee, and he would have glomped his prey if it weren't for Angeal's intervention.

"Let him sleep."

"Yeah, he has a rough schedule tomorrow." Zack winced at the thought of cadet courses. He plopped down on the lazy boy nearby. It was nice to come home to the sight of the two most important people in his life together.

Dark eyes turned to the second class. He wanted to know what happened in detail but from past experience (and no sex for a long time), he would wait until Zack was ready to start talking.

"They were well prepared," Zack answered, knowing that look. "Someone must have tipped them off. No casualties and a few injuries. They wanted no communication outside our group just in case."

That certainly explained a lot. "Did you catch the spy?" If so, he really wanted a piece of him for endangering his puppy.

Shaking his head, Zack replied. "No. They didn't want me to tell anyone, but I figured Seph would tell you sooner or later."

"I am head of the second class. You would have to send me a report."

"Oh right." The second class mentally smacked himself. "So what are we going to do with him?" He wanted to change the topic of conversation.

Angeal looked down at the angelic face. He had contemplated waking up Cloud but decided against it. "He can always stay with us for tonight." He rolled his eyes when his puppy gave him that look. "Fine, fine, he can stay over whenever he wants to." 'Gods, I'm going soft.' The first class knew Wes would tease him good naturedly about it. The others would probably be amused.

The second class suppressed a squeal of joy and a glomp. It would wake up the cute blond. "So where would he sleep?" He really wanted Cloud to join them as Angeal's bed was large enough.

"He'll be sleeping on the spare bed," Angeal replied. He too wanted to be close to Cloud, having that petite body pressed against his. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," Zack blurted out, trying to hide his disappointment and then was lightly cuffed. "I'll bring him there!"

Before the second class SOLDIER could act, Angeal gently scooped up the blond. Knowing his lover, he would use this opportunity to cause mischief. He gave that look.

"What? I swear I wasn't going to do anything," Zack whined as he trailed behind. He had his fingers crossed behind his back not that Angeal would or could see them.

With much coordination, Angeal pulled back the sheets, placed Cloud down, and tucked him in. "Sure, you weren't." He quietly made his way back out and carefully shut the door.

"It's true," Zack pouted. He would have gone into his dramatics if he weren't tired. "You aren't getting some tonight."

Take that!

"Nothing will be happening tonight. Cloud is sleeping over, and I believe you have already corrupted him enough."

Zack stood there doing a perfect imitation of a fish.

BorderBorderBorderBorderBorder

Glowing mako eyes scanned the crowded Wall Market. It wouldn't be hard to lose someone with the hustle and bustle, but at the same time, it made it easier to blend in. Hardly anyone focused on another person. They had too much to worry about like putting food on the table.

The first class slipped his sun glasses back. If they couldn't see the glow of his eyes, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference. He felt sorry for those more recognized SOLDIERs like Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis. They were mobbed everywhere they went and had several fan clubs. While it was flattering, it became a pain in the ass after awhile, and he didn't have a personal fan club.

Quietly, he slipped into an alley and wrinkled his nose at the foul smell. No one bothered cleaning up. No one care. It didn't make a difference, such a bleak life.

A few large cardboard boxes were propped against walls, dirty clothes or blankets covering their openings. This was an all too common sight under the plate. It was a sad existence.

Still, he had a mission to finish. He tried to ignore the chatter around him, the begging for a single gil or a crumb of food. Despite his strength, he nearly cracked down seeing a family willing to sell themselves for such a small amount. He made that in an hour.

Without another thought, he slipped the family some gil. Hopefully, they could turn their lives around and make a better future.

The SOLDIER didn't stop or turn around to see their elated expressions. It was probably more money than they had ever seen. Everyone could use a break.

"How fucking sentimental," a voice drawled. The owner sneered at the scene of the happy family.

The first class scoffed. "It isn't your money." He was tempted to punch that bastard's face, but he had some uses.

"It's money you could be paying me. So what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Cut the crap. I need information." He drew circles in the air, indicating what kind of information he wanted.

Grinning, the guy mentally counted the money he'd be making. It was going to be a lot, and he was going to milk it for what it was worth.

"Come this way, I'll grab us one of the finer tables." There was something about him that made the Turks look like saints.

At least, they had a code.

BorderBorderBorderBorderBorder

"Have you heard any word?"

"No, he hasn't initiated contact with me."

"Do you believe it is wise to trust him with such a delicate task?"

"Yes, I do. He's good at charming information out of anyone and understands the importance of secrecy. It's quite a shame he's in SOLDIER."

The elder Turk nodded his head. "Yes, it is quite unfortunate to lose a promising candidate." Too bad it happened before his time as leader.

"Keep me informed."

"Yes, sir."

"Sir!"

A young woman stood at the door, a folder tucked under her arm."

"You may enter."

She stepped in and handed the folder over. "There are the notes you requested. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, you two will be taking the rookie to a little soiree."

The two younger Turks, exchanged looks. They both wondered what was going through their leader's mind.

"As females."

"At least, you have some a feminine name."

Said Turk glared at her.

"Kari, you know you could always change it."

BorderBorderBorderBorderBorder

Blue eyes opened to reveal he wasn't in the cadet dorms, and this definitely wasn't his lumpy mattress. It was far too comfortable, and the first good night's sleep he had ever since coming here.

Then it hit him harder than any punch from a first class. The last thing he remembered was spending time with his mentor's mentor in his apartment so that must mean…

The blood drained from his face. 'I must have fallen asleep. Crap!'

Cloud hastily scrambled out of bed and gathered up his belongings before mentally chastising himself. He needed to make the bed neatly.

It didn't take him long to tidy up. He hoped he wouldn't wake up either SOLDIER especially since they had been so kind to him. Slowly, he turned the knob, wincing when he heard a low creak. It was well known that SOLDIERs had enhanced hearing, particularly first classes.

After all that worrying, Cloud found the two SOLDIERs enjoying a home made breakfast. Did Zack cook it or Angeal? He couldn't imagine either of them cooking. Then again, he couldn't see them interacting with a lowly cadet either.

"Cloudy, come and get breakfast." Zack waved his fork around, not caring if he sent egg bits all over the place.

Angeal grabbed his wrist. "It would be wise to hurry before this bottomless pit devours everything in sight."

Zack scowled. "I'm a growing boy!"

"Growing side ways."

"Cloudy, Angeal is being mean to me," the second class wined and scooted his chair away. He then grabbed his plate.

"You're gaining weight."

"Hey, it's all muscle, and who said I'm corrupting him? You are!" Zack pointed his finger accusingly at his lover.

Angeal merely smiled a small one. Cloud had started imitating his mentor. Now Zack would feel what he went through.

"Corrupting me?" Cloud asked, taking a seat. He sat next to Zack and across from Angeal due to the squareness of the table.

"Never mind," Zack dismissed it. It was better if Cloud didn't know at all. "So didja have fun while I was gone?"

"Commander Hewley—" "Angeal" "took me out for dinner."

"That's it? You guys are so boring. What will you do without me?"

"Remain sane."

"Live longer."

"I swear it's a conspiracy against me."

BorderBorderBorderBorderBorder

"Good form, Cadet Tailor," their instructor commented. With the quints, it was hard telling them apart. He couldn't remember which one he had in his class. Their names were too similar.

"Nice execution, Cadet Strife."

Inwardly, Cloud was grinning like a madman. In spite of their first meeting, he had come to respect the guy. He knew what he was doing and refused to play favorites.

"Try again."

Cloud had to grit his teeth so he wouldn't laugh. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who enjoyed seeing the bullies suffer. What he wouldn't do for a camera.

Evan scowled. He hated this instructor. Ever since he came, he grades went from the highest to lowest, even lower than Strife's. This new instructor had no favorites, treating everyone equally.

"There will be a test on these moves I've taught you. Anyone who fails it, gets to spend quality time with me until you're caught up."

The bully leader winced. It meant he really had to work hard. He hated that. Cloud and Dirk were getting off too easy. They were probably cheating. Yeah, that was it.

As much as he hated the first class, he knew he didn't stand a chance against him. The SOLDIER was on par with the Great General Sephiroth as far as hand to hand combat went, but if given a weapon, he'd take out both allies and enemies alike.

His fellow cadets made much easier targets even if they were trained by SOLDIERs. It would only be a matter of time.

"Dismissed."

One by one, the cadets shuffled out until only the instructor, Dirk, Cloud, and the bullies remained. As soon as the first class went into the side room to put away the equipment, the bullies bounded on the two.

"Enjoy it while it lasts."

Dirk and Cloud glanced at each other, wondering what the hell he was babbling about this time. It wouldn't be the first time he talked such nonsense. Honestly, they wondered how he made it into the cadet program in the first place. Maybe he barely made it.

"What are you talking about?" Cloud asked, keeping an eye on them. He didn't trust any of them as far as he could throw them, which wasn't far.

"Being teacher's pet," Evan sneered. It was his position, but it wouldn't last long. Soon, it was going to be all his.

What a hypocrite. Dirk scoffed at this. "Everyone knows Tala doesn't play favorites. You'd think by now someone like you would get the hint."

Evan glared at him before laughing. "Sergeant Okami will return once they see how talented he is." The guy was a genius.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he put away his belongings. He wanted to relax after a productive class. "Okami is an egotistic maniac who can't fight his way out of a wet paper bag. His katas are a joke."

"Take that back, losers."

So it seemed like the bullies couldn't take any of their own medicine.

"Cloud's right. He can't even put up a proper defense much less take out an enemy. It's a wonder how he stayed instructor this long." While the bullies were annoying, they provided some entertainment at times. Dirk wondered if it was worth the headaches he'd sometimes end up after dealing with them.

"Can't take it? We can be more gentle." What happened to the scared Cloud? Evan didn't like this self-confident Cloud. It must be the SOLDIER's fault. He and his minions circled around the two like starving hyenas ready to pounce on a carcass.

"I bet you can't handle it."

Tala placed the last of the punching bags away when he heard voices. It was Okami's pets, the chocobo, and a Tailor. They weren't on friendly terms form what he observed, but it didn't go anything past trash talk, mostly from the pets until today.

Hurrying back into the classroom, he found two boys in need of medical attention and the other two on defense. "What is the meaning of this?"

The combatants froze and turned their attention to the irritated first class instructor. They were caught fighting outside of class.

"Strife and Tailor attacked us," Evan blurted out. If he hadn't heard the earlier conversation, it would seem like the answer.

The first looked over at Cloud and Dirk, who seemed to be patiently waiting for him to speak. They were well aware of what they were doing and seemed to be willing to take any punishment. "Cadet Strife or Cadet Tailor, tell me in your own words what happened."

"We were packing our stuff when they came over and started taunting us. When they didn't like our responses on how ineffective Okami was, they attacked us, and we defended ourselves," Dirk explained and Cloud nodded.

"It's not true, they're making it up," Evan raised his voice.

This time Tala glared at the bully. "Do you take me for a fool? Lying will get you nowhere especially within SOLDIER. I heard everything in the conversation." He pointed to his ears. "For your information, SOLDIERs especially first classes have sensitive hearing so yelling near them isn't a good idea and breaking the rules near them isn't good either."

Evan gulped. He didn't have Okami to bail him out this time. The cadet was on his own, and the first class didn't look happy by the green in his eyes.

"I've already read your record so don't think you're getting off lightly this time." Tala paused so he wouldn't strangle the boy on sight. "I don't know how or why Okami keeps saving your ass, but he isn't here. We do not tolerate your type within SOLDIER. Pack your bags. You aren't even fit for MP."

"Isn't that up to the general to decide?" Evan squeaked, much to the amusement of Cloud and Dirk. The increasing green in the SOLDIER's eye meant he should start praying.

"Initiating fights, fighting, black mail, theft, assault, harassment, shall I continue? … Good, I'm sure General Sephiroth would toss you out on your ass, but you're not worthy enough to be in his presence so I will do it for him. And for the rest of you, you will have a week to straighten up or face the same consequences as him. Make sure you take your classmates to the infirmary."

Once the bullies were gone, Tala turned his attention to the remaining cadets.


	10. Taste of His Own Medicine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karma happens. Enough said.

Sephiroth stared at the latest report on his desk, wondering why the hell did this take so long to do? He shook his head and sighed. They didn't need that kind of people in SOLDIER and even in the troopers. Hopefully, the others would improve with their interaction and work ethics.

The black sheep, Evan. The General scanned through his file, mainly his offenses. It was horrendous. If it weren't for a certain person, he would have been kicked out a long time ago.

Sergeant Okami had also been a black sheep too in his time. According to his files, he failed the SOLDIER exam in the area of psychology and weapons. However, the company lacked instructors and were NOT willing to let SOLDIERs teach such low level grunts as they called it. Also, they wanted to get their money's worth out of Okami.

"Perhaps, it would teach them a lesson. Then again, they rarely learn their lessons except when it comes to the matter of money."

It seemed the bad apples congregated. Sephiroth made a note of asking Micah about the instructors. Hopefully, they would not have a repeat of Okami. He'd be willing to spare a few SOLDIERs if it meant the cadets received good training and were better prepared for what laid ahead of them.

The General sighed a long one. With what had been happening, he pulled extra hours, and now it was catching up with him. It would give the 'good doctor' an excuse to run extensive tests on him. He didn't want to burden Angeal with this, not when he spent the last few weeks worrying about Zack.

Maybe he shouldn't have assigned it to Fair, but he was one of the most able second classes and one that Sephiroth trusted. It also helped that Zack was well liked and had good people skills.

Closing his file, Sephiroth wanted to put these two out of his mind. He had enough to deal with, considering what was happening to his subordinates. First, he needed to…

His PHS rang, interrupting his train of thought.

"Sephiroth speaking." There was a few odd noises as if the person was having trouble holding it.

"Today's session was brutal so you might want to make yourself scarce."

Hojo's sessions are always brutal," Sephiroth scoffed. There was nothing new to it, but the low chuckle made him stiffen.

"This isn't like any other time. It's something he whipped up. I'm lucky Kurai happened to be passing by."

This did not sound well. He glanced over to his clock. His secretary should have gone home by now. The guy wasn't strong, but he was a genius that even rivaled Sephiroth. He was average as far as strength went. It also helped he was extremely patient and well organized.

"Thank you," Sephiroth replied and hung up. He grabbed his sword before exiting his office. As predicted, his secretary left for the night, but he left a note and a small bag.

'Since I figure you're going to forget dinner as usual, I left you a little surprise. Enjoy.'

Sephiroth smiled slightly. He knew Sam wasn't trying to gain any favors from him. The guy genuinely cared about his well being. It was nice having people treat him like a human being, not like a war god or idol. He picked up the small package and opened it to reveal a little bun.

'At least, I know there isn't any surprises in it.' He ate it on the way out, relishing the taste. Screw his dietary regiment. In fact, Hojo could go to hell for all he cared.

Sam made a good cook. He made a mental note to ask him for his recipes. It might take a few trials, but he would eventually get the hang of it. He chuckled at the thought of people's reaction to him actually cooking.

His enhanced hearing allowed him to hear footsteps. It could be the cleaning crew or Hojo. Unless that person spoke, he didn't have a clue. Not wanting to take a chance, the General took his emergency route.

Border Fun

Empty, completely empty. Hojo glared at the empty seat that should have been occupied by his greatest experiment. It made his blood boil. Someone must have told him or he decided to call it an early day, which was out of the question knowing the General.

Specimen T wouldn't tell or rather couldn't. The failed experiment could barely walk out of his lab. It would be a miracle for him to form a complete sentence.

Then there were his lab assistants. They only knew what he told them, which wasn't that much. He only gave them the information needed for a particular task and nothing more. Then again, they were becoming smarter. He'd have to do something about it. They were paid to follow orders, not think. That was his job.

Adjusting his glasses, the 'good doctor' scowled at the empty office. He'd have to ask that useless male. What was his name? Sephiroth's assistant for his schedule. Wait, why should he ask? He was the head of biology, he didn't need to ask.

Hojo pulled out his notebook and scribbled a few notes in his cryptic language. Who knew what his enemies (Hollander) would or could do if he possessed it? That lousy second rate scientist stole ideas for his lack of one.

He snapped his notebook shut and stuffed it in his pocket. Hojo glanced around the room as if Sephiroth would magically pop out. When nothing happened, he shuffled off, mentally going over Sephiroth's schedule the next day. Maybe he should arrange his schedule. There were a few useless meetings arranged. They could wait.

After all, this was for science.

Border Fun

This was taking too long. Another group of third classes was abducted. Somehow, the second class in charge of then had been subdued. Since he couldn't remember much of the struggle, he must have been targeted first and then the third classes were taken to gods knows where.

His PHS vibrated unexpectedly. This was his personal phone and very few had his number. Sephiroth flipped it open to find a text message from a SOLDIER he wanted to see.

He grabbed his sword on his way out, breezing past a startled Hojo, who shouted at him. Who cared what he wanted? Sephiroth had more important matters to attend to.

Due to the probability of being overheard, they needed a remote location. It couldn't be where there were a lot of civilians. They greatly annoyed him with their constant gawking. It couldn't be Shin-Ra owned or loyal to the company.

"Seph!"

The General turned to find Angeal hurrying toward him, his puppy in tow. "What can I do for you?"

"Have you read the latest report?"

"Yes, I have," Sephiroth replied grimly.

"Do you have any ideas?" Angeal inquired, glancing over to his student who scowled.

"Not a baby," Zack protested, much like a child. It showed he had yet to fully mature. His mentor merely shook his head and sighed.

Sephiroth paused, thinking of a way to relay it without letting everyone else know. "I have a few theories, but not sufficient evidence to support any of them. I'll be heading out on a personal errand."

"I see," Angeal said, gesturing that he acknowledged the hidden message. "In that case, I won't keep you any longer, but I thought you should know Hojo is lurking nearby."

A few choice words erupted from the second class, and it also included ways of how Hojo should die a very painful and slow death for all the suffering he caused. Zack couldn't wait until the company fired him. Then the protection was gone.

Angeal groaned but ruffled Zack's hair. The puppy meant well though he could get into trouble, however, seeing Sephiroth smile was worth the risk.

"You're a few minutes too late. I saw him already."

"And he let you go?" Angeal knew how Hojo operated.

Sephiroth smirked. "He didn't have much of a choice or rather he didn't have any time to speak."

"Good one," Angeal chuckled before they parted ways.

The two walked in silence until Zack could no longer stand it. He tugged on Angeal's arm. "What was that about?"

"SOLDIER stuff."

Zack frowned, not liking this. It was the same old stuff again. "I'm a SOLDIER too, you know." He puffed up his chest, reminding the first class of a puppy that had more bark than bite.

"First class, it's very hush, hush. No Puppy, I can't tell you. It wouldn't be fair for the others." Angeal halted, seeing two Turks heading in their direction. Each of them had a bag and what appeared to be an outfit draped over their shoulder.

"I can't believe I was picked for this," the male Turk griped. He didn't look pleased, however, he had very little facial expressions like Sephiroth.

"The other women are on special assignments. Besides, out of the rest, you'll be the most likely to get away with it."

"Thanks for the complement, Cissinei,"

"Any time."

"Hello, Commander Hewley and Lieutenant Fair."

Zack glanced between his mentor and the two Turks. He knew of the 'rivalry' between the two groups. A blind man could see it.

"Pardon us, but we're on a very special mission."

Angeal nodded his head. "Of course." Turks were so elusive and mysterious. Yet, one of them happened to be dating a SOLDIER. They seemed to be happy in their relationship.

"Very special, my ass," Hikari grumbled.

Then they disappeared.

The second class blinked a few times, wondering what just happened. He looked to his mentor turned lover for an answer.

"Don't become too comfortable around them. They can't be fully trusted." Angeal continued their journey to the VR room. He didn't hate them. They just had too many secrets for his liking. In a way, he respected them for their teamwork and protecting each other.

"I thought they… never mind. So which training program are we going to work on today? Is it the Wutai invasion? Rebels in an abandoned warehouse? Terrorist at the mako plant?"

"None of the above."

"Oooohhh, is this an ultra hard one?" Zack slammed his fist into his gloved palm. "I can't wait!"

'Oh Zack will be surprised,' Angeal mused. He knew Zack excelled in any physical challenge, but he had trouble mentally. "It's going to be hard, the push you to your limits kind."

The second class became bouncier if possible. He couldn't keep still, which amused the SOLDIERs passing by them. A few ruffled his hair in spite of his protests. All the while, Angeal fought this insane urge to snatch his puppy away from them.

Maybe he should pay a psychologist a visit if he kept behaving like this. He reasoned it was due to the recent events, but he felt something more. Zack was a talented young man. He could defend himself. Oh, he'd better think about it another time. Thankfully his student was too preoccupied to notice anything different.

"Zack."

"Yeah, Ange?"

"Watch out for that…"

Bam!

"Wall."

"Owwies, I swear it jumped out and attacked me!" Zack looked to his lover, silently asking him for back up.

"Sure, it did. That's the day I like anything with boobs."

"Eh, you're gay?"

"Kurai, feel free to ignore his stupidity. I think he may have injured himself," Angeal said and glanced over to the injured wall.

"You do realize I'm here?"

"Duly noted though I figured by now his skull is thick enough to serve as a helmet," the younger though not by a lot SOLDIER blinked. "Heading to the VR room?"

"Yes, it's time for this puppy's training." Angeal pulled the second class closer to him and held him there before he could cause any mischief.

Kurai smirked. "I thought you've house broken him already. What more can you fit into that skull of his?"

"I'm sure there's enough room since it's empty."

"Hey! I swear you're corrupting them against me!"

The other first class chuckled. "We're only teasing you." Much like Angeal, Kurai wasn't one to open up or be friendly with others, excluding his twin. The puppy managed to worm his way into his heart and many others.

"Find someone else."

"My twin is too smart for his own good so that leaves you." Unofficially, he adopted Zack as his younger brother. Everyone knew it. Oddly enough, Hikari adopted him as well.

"Lucky me," Zack griped and glared at the older twin.

"Where are you heading?" Angeal inquired.

Kurai turned his attention to the first class. "Patrol with a bunch of wet behind the ears rookies. Joy." This would most likely turn out to be a babysitting job. Fun.

"Let me guess, Okami's graduates?" Angeal grimaced at the thought. He knew they were practically useless without their weapons. Basically, it would be a complete nightmare.

"Sadly yes," Kurai sighed a long one. "It will be more like babysitting them."

"Haha, sucks to be you," Zack chuckled and then was glared at by the two first classes. "Sheesh, you need to lighten up a bit."

"I'd better find my team before they do something stupid, and I think your puppy could use more advanced training." The younger first class waved as he departed.

"I have a name!"

Before Zack could follow, Angeal grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to the VR room, ignoring the yelps of protest.

"Thankfully, they weren't far from the room, thus, they didn't draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. They did, however, draw a few stares from a few second classes.

"Looks like we have a naughty puppy, my fave." The figure stood inside the VR room.


	11. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When it rain, it pours as SOLDIERs find out. Bad new and more bad news are revealed that has even disturbed Sephiroth. Sephiroth of all people!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp.... Some divergence such as Angeal not getting sick... but poor Genesis. Somehow he winds up to be the antagonist.

"Genesis."

"Kidding, kidding, Angeal. Man, you need to loosen up and maybe get laid." smirk. "Think your pet is up for a threesome? I'm sure he has been well trained by you."

"Genesis Rhapsodos," Angeal growled, his eyes starting to turn green. "Back off." He pushed Zack behind his larger build.

Genesis pretended to be hurt. "You wound me, Angie. I won't be rough on your darling puppy." He couldn't pull off the innocent look even if his life depended on it.

"Are you finished?"

"Not quite, I have yet to see a puppy program," the auburn haired SOLDIER leered. "Imagine the things I could do with it. The golden chocobo would be a good one too. Too bad, he can't scream. It would be fun seeing him squirm underneath me, screaming in pleasure. What?"

Two pairs of glowing green eyes glared at him. They were beyond pissed off, more like livid with rage. Death was too good for him.

Maybe he went a little too far. "You two need to stop being such stiffs. Enjoy the moment. I know I will when I get a hold of that delectable-"

Genesis never finished that sentence. Before he knew it, he was outside the VR room, having been manhandled. They certainly moved quick when defending that blond cadet. The first class made a note of it and sauntered down the corridor.

"I don't like him," Zack scowled, glaring at the door as if it was responsible.

Angeal shook his head. "He didn't used to be this way. He was kinder but a little on the egotistical side. Everyday, he'd offer me apples from his orchard. I didn't want any, but he eventually sneaked a few. I'm not sure how."

Blue eyes blinked. "Are you sure you're talking about the same guy?"

"It is him. He changed for the worse. It's like he's a stranger, not my childhood friend." Before he could say another word, he hand an armful of puppy. He wrapped his arms around the smaller SOLDIER. It disturbed him to see Genesis change.

Right now he had more important matters. Genesis could defend himself. His puppy needed all the help he could get. They weren't sure what they were up against how how many.

Reluctantly he withdrew from the warm hug. "We can continue another time. You still have your training, remember?"

"I'm going to kick ass. Wait and you'll see." The second class pumped his fist into the air.

Angeal headed off to the side and programmed the simulator. For some reason, he couldn't wait to see Zack's reaction to the mission.

Minutes later, there was a loud whining.

"Annngggeeeeeeeaaaaaalllll~!"

Border Wars

"I'm here," Sephiroth announced to what appeared to be a deserted items shop. He wrinkled his nose upon the dust being disturbed and floating to him. The lengths he went through to protect his men.

"Evening." The shadow moved silently and quickly. It settled down on a clean chair near him. "Would you like the good news or bad news first?"

"Bad news," Sephiroth said, preferring to stand than to sit on the second clean seat. It didn't look like it would be able to hold his massive weight.

"We have a spy in our midst, and higher than anticipated. That's why they were able to take down all those third classes. He's a first class SOLDIER."

One of his men?! Sephiroth saw red. "Do you have a name?"

"That's where it gets worse. You'll never believe it. Hell, I don't believe it, but I saw it with my own two eyes." There was another person, but he couldn't tell from that far away. First classes were something else so eavesdropping on their conversations took the skills of an elite Turk.

"Get to the point, Wesley."

Dark eyes became green before looking up into a similar pair.

"It's Genesis."

More Border Fun

The conversation with Wesley had been brief. What he learned proved to be invaluable, yet, at the same time, he didn't want to hear it. Didn't want to hear that who he considered to be a trusted friend turned out to be behind this mess.

Why was he involved in the first place? Who was in charge? What did they want? How did it come to this? Sephiroth thought he could trust him, but he was wrong. Maybe Hojo was right. He couldn't trust them. But a part of him screamed no. Angeal hadn't done anything wrong. If anything, he proved to be more loyal than... well the Turks were with each other.

This still disturbed him. Their meetings, he knew everything. That was how he was able to move around so freely. He knew where everyone was or would be. Genesis target the thirds since they were easier. There was no reason for him to do it. After all, he was a first class and a highly paid one at that. He had many fans, both guys and gals.

"I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming," Sephiroth repeated over and over again. He reached up to his cheek and pinched it for good measure. It hurt. So he was not dreaming, but it felt like one. That he'd wake up and spend breakfast with his two friends, his two first friends.

Sephiroth wished for the good old days when he wasn't the idol for SOLDIER, when they could be themselves. Those were such innocent times. He must admit. They had changed over the years, became mature for the most part. Sephiroth himself became distant and a capable leader. Angeal proved to be a valuable fighter and mentor to many. Genesis... he learned many different types of moves and changed for the worse.

So now how on Gaia was he supposed to tell Angeal? The two had been close childhood friends. It was that friendship that helped him become who he was today. If it hadn't been for them, he would have wound up bitter, cold, and very angry. They taught him what it was like to be human. Now one of them... seemed so inhuman.

Was it all a lie?

The General dreaded the thought of being the one to inform Angeal. He'd rather face the entire Wutai army than tell him. As the leader of SOLDIER, it was his duty, however, Angeal was the closest family he had. He didn't want to lose him as well.

"I can tell him if you want," Wesley offered as he trailed behind Sephiroth. He had never seen Sephiroth so torn before. As much as he wanted to throttle Genesis, he refused to give into that temptation. Sephiroth needed all the support he could get.

Shaking his head, Sephiroth replied, "No thanks. This is something personal. It doesn't feel right if someone else told him. He wouldn't assign any of his SOLDIERs a task he refused to do.

"Very well. If you need back up, you know my number. Feel free to call any time. Can't say if I'll be coherent."

"Thank you," Sephiroth finally said, feeling strange saying those two words. A child could say them so easily, but for him, it was akin to fighting an entire army. Just two simple and normal words.

"Is there any assignment or mission-"

"Go home and rest. I'm sure your little lover misses you."

Wesley chuckled. "He's out on a special mission. Wouldn't say what. You know how they are. A secretive bunch." Most likely, it embarrassed the hell out of his little lover. He so wanted pictures.

Sephiroth raised a brow. He figured the Turk wouldn't say anything due to the nature of his job. "Understood. I need some time alone." To reflect.

Wesley nodded his head, acknowledging his request. "But if you need anything, don't hesitate. We're there for you." He referred to the entire first class... minus one.

That look from Sephiroth spoke in volumes. He was grateful for his firsts. They were the family he never had especially Angeal and Zack. The second was more of a younger brother he found annoying but somehow couldn't hate. He'd make a great first class once he improved his concentration.

"Later Seph!"

Before he could respond, Sephiroth found himself alone. It was odd hearing it from anyone other than Angeal, Genesis, Zack, and Micah. Rarely anyone called him that for fear of his wrath. It almost brought a smile to his face.

Sephiroth liked being treated normally but with respect. Perhaps he could find someone to be intimate with rather than one time stands. Those were becoming boring. He needed someone who understood him and more importantly was patient.

'Perhaps, I'm too different.'


End file.
